


An Unexpected Father

by MocaJava



Series: Hobbit Kink Meme Fills [1]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Dwobbit!Bilbo, F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-05
Updated: 2016-02-13
Packaged: 2018-02-07 14:21:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 31,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1902279
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MocaJava/pseuds/MocaJava
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Belladonna Took kept a secret from Bilbo until she lay on her deathbed...that Bilbo was not a full blooded Hobbit, but half Dwarf. She wouldn't tell Bilbo the Dwarf's name and Bilbo had thought he would never meet his father until one night thirteen Dwarves showed up unexpectedly on his doorstep. And when one Dwarf began to brag about the time he spent with a Hobbit lass named Belladonna, Bilbo unexpectedly found his father.</p><p>Based on <a href="http://hobbit-kink.livejournal.com/11476.html?thread=23734484#t23734484">This prompt</a> from the Hobbit Kink Meme.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Bilbo sighed in exasperation as he made another effort to keep the herd of dwarves who had invaded his home from completely destroying it. This time it was the dwarf with the axe embedded in his head, who was trying to eat the flowers out of the vase Bilbo had put on the table. “Could you please not do that, I just picked those out of my garden this morning...” He felt a moment’s relief when the badger-haired Dwarf put the vase down...then began to panic again when he realized that the dwarf was peeking out the window, a grin spreading over his face as he looked in the direction of Bilbo’s flower bed. He slapped Bilbo on the shoulder hard enough to almost knock him over and grunted something before making a beeline for the door.

“Oh no! No!” Bilbo cried. He tried to go after the Dwarf but the young dark-haired Dwarf...Kili, that was it, Bilbo was lucky he could remember any of their names...slung an arm around his shoulder. “Come on Mr. Boggins, have a drink with us,” Kili said with a grin, already dragging Bilbo towards the other Dwarves.

Bilbo’s protests fell on deaf ears, and a pint was placed in front of him. Suddenly feeling like he really could use a drink, Bilbo gulped it down and hardly noticed as his mug was filled again and again and again. Bilbo was soon completely and utterly sloshed.

The Dwarves had begun to tell bawdy stories of their past conquests; Bilbo’s ears perked up when Nori loudly declared, “I bet I’m the only one here who’s ever bedded a Hobbit lass! Well, except for Bilbo of course.” 

“Really,” Fili said with a curious expression.

“Aye, it was a long time ago. Has to be fifty years now, at least. She was a wild little thing, up for anything. She took my sausage in every one of her holes with great enthusiasm!” Nori groaned and his eyes rolled up at the memory. “I can still see her on her hands and knees, beautiful tits swaying while I plow her from behind, that lovely round arse bouncing with every thrust.” The star-haired Dwarf leaned back in his chair, a dreamy look in his eyes. 

“I would think a Dwarf would hurt such a small, soft creature,” Gloin said.

“Oh no, Hobbits are more durable than they look! I never had to hold back, she took everything I had to give and begged for more! I actually couldn’t keep up with her at times, incredibly energetic lass she was. Must’ve been all those meals they eat.”

Bilbo couldn’t help but chuckle at that.

“So what happened to her?” Kili asked.

“She just up and left. Woke up one morning and she was gone. Two months together and not even a note.” Nori shrugged. “Found a cock she liked more, I guess.” He raised his mug. “A toast, to the finest bit ‘o snatch I’ve ever had! To Belladonna!”

Bilbo had started to drink before Nori had finished, and when he heard his mother’s name he promptly choked, spraying a very confused looking Ori, whose ears were being covered by Dori’s hands while Nori told his dirty tale. “Belladonna!?” Bilbo sputtered.

“Did you know her?” Fili asked with great interest, leaning closer to Bilbo.

Bilbo suddenly felt quite sober; he got up and all but ran to his study, picking up a portrait off of his desk and bringing it back to the table. He slammed it down in front of Nori and demanded, “Is this her?”

Nori’s jaw dropped as he stared at the portrait, the Dwarves sitting near him leaning in to have a look as well. “Aye,” he said in shock.

“Belladonna Took was my mother.” 

“Oi, awkward,” Bofur muttered.

Bilbo ignored him. “She didn’t leave without a word because she ‘found a cock she liked more’, as you so crudely put it. She left because she was _pregnant_. With _me_.”

Nori gaped at Bilbo, his mouth opening and closing as he tried to make words come out but failed.

“She knew you wouldn’t want the responsibility so she came home to the Shire and married Bungo Baggins, the man I believed to be my father until mother told me the truth shortly before she died,” Bilbo said in a raised voice. “You can imagine my shock when she told me that I was half Dwarf. She wouldn’t tell me his name, but I guess I know it now!” 

Dori had dropped his hands from Ori’s ears and the prim white-haired Dwarf glared at Nori, who was still trying to form words. “Say something!”

Nori let out a rush of air and choked out, “Your mother gave amazing head, I’m sure she made ol’ Bungo quite happy.”

Bilbo clutched both hands in his curls and growled loudly before stalking out of the room.

“Nori!” Dori bellowed.

Nori looked at his brother wide-eyed. “I panicked!”


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really struggled with this chapter. Hopefully it'll come easier for me once I get the gang out on the road. I've got plenty of ideas, it's just a matter of organizing them. Thank you so much for the reviews!

The other Dwarves around the table watched with looks of thinly-veiled amusement (or in the cases of Bofur and Kili, obvious amusement) as Dori read Nori the riot act.

“I knew you were irresponsible, but this! How could you be so reckless as to father a child with a woman you hardly knew?”

“I thought she was taking herbs! And I pulled out! I always pull out!”

“That doesn’t always work lad,” Oin said gravely, his ear trumpet turned towards the arguing brothers. “I’ve delivered many babes from parents who had used that method.”

“Like you,” Fili said to Kili.

“I am _not_ a pull out baby!” Kili shouted indignantly. He saw the others staring at him and leaned back in his chair, scowling, arms across his chest while Fili snickered.

“So does this mean Nori could have other children as well?” Ori asked, eyes wide.

“Mahal help us,” muttered Dwalin. 

Nori looked like he was going to be sick.

“You are going to do right by him,” Dori said firmly. “For the first time in your life you are going to take responsibility. You are his father and you will _act_ like one!”

“How would I know what a father is supposed to act like?” Nori snarled, rising from his seat. “Our father was never around and he cut out for good before Ori was born! Whose example should I take, yours? Hover over Bilbo like some sort of carrion bird, never let him have any fun, cover his ears when anyone says anything that could be considered untoward?” He stalked out of the room and a moment later they heard the front door slam shut.

Dori frowned and rose from his seat, meaning to go after his brother.

“Master Dori,” Gandalf’s voice rumbled from the corner where he had been sitting quietly up to this point, “I believe your new nephew’s nerves are quite shaken right now. A cup of chamomile would do him good, don’t you agree?”

“Yes...you’re right, I should tend to him, since his father has no interest.” Dori let out an indignant sniff and headed to the kitchen.

Ori bit his lip, looking confused and a bit upset.

“Do not despair, young Ori,” Gandalf said. “These matters have a way of working themselves out.”

There was a loud banging on the door. Gandalf took a puff of his pipe and said, “He’s here.”

**

Thorin stared in confusion at his dark-haired nephew. “Are you a what?”

“A pull out baby! Fili said I was! Like Mr. Boggins! Nori pulled out but it didn’t work and he put a babe in a Hobbit lass and it was Mr. Boggins’ mother and...”

“Enough!” Thorin looked at the others gathered around the table. “Will someone explain exactly what is going on here?” Thorin sighed as the Dwarves all started talking at once. “Silence!” He bellowed. When the other Dwarves went silent Thorin looked to Gandalf. 

Gandalf calmly explained the situation, and by the time he was done Thorin was furious. “We’ve made this journey for nothing! This burglar is useless to us!”

“Why do you say that, Thorin Oakenshield?” Gandalf asked. “If anything the fact that Nori is his father should be encouraging.” He looked to Dwalin. “Mister Dwalin, you have dealt with Nori in the past. He is a very talented thief, is he not?”

“Aye,” Dwalin said grudgingly. 

“Cunning? Not easily caught?”

Dwalin looked loathe to admit it, but nodded.

“You see, it’s in his blood! This really could not be more perfect,” Gandalf said with a smile. 

“I am not convinced,” Thorin said. “How will Nori and his brothers perform their sworn duty if they’re too distracted by familial concern for the Halfling...ah, half-Hobbit, half-Dwarf...” Thorin waved his hand, “Whatever you wish to call him.”

“Familial concern? Like that which you have for your nephews?” Gandalf asked with an arched brow.

Thorin scowled. “Fine. I will meet this Bilbo. We will see what he is made of.”

Ori went to find Nori and Bofur dragged Bifur out of the flower garden (after wrestling him back into his clothes and assuring the small crowd of Hobbits that had gathered to stare at him that everything was quite all right, thank you). It took some convincing from Gandalf to get Bilbo to come out but he finally did, Dori close by his side.

Thorin explained the quest to everyone gathered and showed them the map that would lead them to Erebor. After some discussion (and a few arguments), Bilbo was presented with a contract.

Nori watched from the corner as Bilbo read aloud the terms of the agreement and the expression on his face when he got to the part about incineration reminded Nori so much of Belladonna that he nearly laughed. That was the exact expression she had used to give him when Nori had cooked up a particularly outrageous plan.

_”And how exactly would you get the statue out?” Belladonna asked, hands on her hips._

_Nori grinned, taking a slow puff of his pipe. “I’d get a Troll to carry it.”_

_“Would that be before or after it ate you?”_

_Nori laughed at the look on her face. “It wouldn’t eat me! In case you haven’t noticed lass, I am **very** charming.”_

_“Aye, but you’re quite tasty too,” Belladonna said with a wicked smile._

_“Am I now?” Nori purred as she crawled over to him on the bed._

_“Oh yes.” She planted kisses down his bare chest, nuzzling the thick trail of hair that disappeared into his trousers. “And we Hobbits are experts on what tastes good,” she said as she yanked his pants and underclothes down in one swift movement._

_Nori’s breath hitched. “That’s not a baked good there, lass.”_

_Belladonna grinned up at him. “But I do so love the cream inside it.”_

_Nori had tried to give a witty retort, but then her lovely mouth had closed around his cock and begun to suck him and he could do nothing but drop his head back against the pillow and grip onto her lush curls for dear life._

Nori was snapped out of his thoughts by a sudden thud; he saw that the spot where Bilbo had been standing was now empty. He stood up in confusion and realized that Bilbo was laying on the ground unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I plan to do little flashback scenes with Nori and Belladonna throughout the story...I hope you'll enjoy them. Updating this is going to be irregular due to my personal schedule so I appreciate your patience.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank all of you who left comments and kudos. You are all awesome and I hope you continue to enjoy the story.
> 
> I got more feels in this chapter than I originally intended to. Poor Nori keeps a lot inside.

It had taken a hell of an effort to get Dori to leave the room once they’d carried Bilbo to his study and sat him in the chair; Dori seemed convinced that somehow Nori would screw things up even while Bilbo was just laying there unconscious. Nori had finally told him to bugger off in those exact words and Dori had done a lot of huffing and puffing before finally leaving.

Nori leaned against the wall opposite Bilbo and looked him over...trying to see himself in him. Perhaps around the eyes, and his nose was a bit broader than what seemed natural on his small face. When Nori had held Bilbo’s arms to carry him he had felt the solid muscle beneath the soft skin and couldn’t help but think that that was from his Dwarven heritage as well.

He regretted what he’d said earlier in front of the others about Belladonna. He’d acted like she’d been nothing but a set of holes for him to fuck, and that simply had not been true. Sure there had been plenty of those kind, both before and after her, but she had not been one of them. She had been brilliant, and funny, and she had never judged him. In fact, she may have been the only person in his life who hadn’t, besides possibly Ori.

Nori had never been good with words, at least not with ones that didn’t involve some kind of crudity. Expressing his emotions was not something he was good at, either. So when he had been trying to think of something to say to Bilbo, having just found out moments earlier that he had a son, all that had come out was one of the stupidest things you could say to any male about their mother...after he had already said the filthiest things about her already.

Bilbo’s eyes slowly opened; he frowned and rubbed the back of his head. “What happened?”

“Bofur gave you a graphic description of what it would be like to be incinerated by a dragon,” Nori said. “You fainted.”

“Oh, right, well...” Bilbo’s hands twisted in his lap, “I’ve had a rather odd day, I suppose it caught up with me.” He cleared his throat. “I do apologize for how I spoke to you. It was completely unacceptable, especially with you being my...well...” Bilbo suddenly looked dazed, and for a moment Nori thought he was going to faint again. Bilbo composed himself and said, “I would like to get to know you. Dori said...well, basically he said you were no good. But if my mother saw you fit to keep company with, I cannot imagine that you are all that bad.”

Nori snorted, thinking that the lad didn’t understand the concept of being young and rebellious, and doing things...and people...that you’d look back in horror at years later. Even Nori had some of those moments, and that was saying something. He imagined that he had been one of those moments of horror for Belladonna; no doubt after she’d married Bungo Baggins and had been relieved that her child looked like a full blooded Hobbit she’d thought back on her time with Nori and wondered what the hell she’d been thinking. 

Nori didn’t know why the thought made his chest feel tight, but it did.

“You sure you want this?” Nori asked. “What will the other Hobbits say?”

That expression on Bilbo’s face...there was Belladonna again. “Nothing worse than what they already say about me, I’m considered quite odd already. They’ll probably say, ‘well look at his father, that explains everything’.”

Nori almost took offense until he saw the wry smirk on Bilbo’s face. Then he found himself laughing. Bilbo chuckled and smiled wider.

“I’ll give it a shot,” Nori said. “I can’t promise anything.”

“Understood.” There was a knock on the door and Nori was glad for the interruption, because he could see it on Bilbo’s face that there was more his son wanted to say, and it would be far too awkward and emotional for Nori’s tastes. He went to the door and opened it to find Gandalf standing there, a cup of tea held carefully in his large hand.

“Apologies for the interruption, Master Nori,” Gandalf said, “But I was wondering if I might have a word with Bilbo alone.”

Nori looked back at Bilbo, who offered him a weak smile and a nod. “Of course.” He slipped out the door without another backwards glance.

Bilbo did not make another appearance that night; Gandalf emerged nearly an hour after he’d first gone in to speak with him, looking frustrated. Nori saw the wizard exchange glances with Thorin and shake his head; Thorin for his part looked unsurprised. Nori had suspected that Bilbo’s fainting spell had been a ‘no’ to the quest, and apparently he’d been right.

The night grew late and as they gathered with their pipes around the fireplace, they sang. They sang about their home in the Misty Mountains and the day Smaug came. They sang of loss and heartache and the memories of that day, the loss of many loved ones reflected in many of the Dwarves’ eyes. When the song concluded Thorin instructed everyone to get some sleep, they would be departing at sunrise.

Nori could not sleep. He kept thinking not about what lay ahead, but what he was leaving behind. He couldn’t help but feel that he had made a mistake by agreeing to attempt a relationship with Bilbo. What had he been thinking? He was not father material, Belladonna had known that perfectly well and had done the smart thing by leaving and marrying someone who was.

Maybe he’d agreed because he’d known that it was highly unlikely that he would survive this quest. That any of them would. It might hurt Bilbo a little when he heard the news, but he’d get over it, and probably realize it had been for the best in the end.

Nori felt Ori poke him gently from his right side and rolled over to face his little brother. “We’re going to come back and see him, right?” Ori whispered, his eyes wide and sad looking. 

“Of course,” Nori whispered back, smoothing down a cowlick in Ori’s hair. “Once we’ve got Erebor back we’ll come back here and share our riches with him.” Ori gave Nori a big grin and Nori bumped his forehead against his little brother’s.

Ori snuggled close to Nori, falling asleep with his head on Nori’s chest. Nori stroked Ori’s hair and felt, not for the first time, a bit sick about his younger brother being on this quest. It was all his fault. Nori had signed on with the offer that his previous criminal record would be completely expunged (and yes he’d made sure that was written out explicitly in the contract he’d signed, thank you very much) and Dori had of course insisted on coming along to chaperone him...and that meant Ori had to come also, as Dori would not let the lad leave his sight. Nori had argued with Dori about it but Dori had insisted that it should be this way. Nori had nearly backed out of the quest when he realized he couldn’t convince his brothers to stay behind, but he knew full well that this was his only chance to start over...and to make sure his family never had to struggle to get by again.

If his brothers died, it would be his fault. Yes, Bilbo really was much better off without him.

**

Nori was jolted awake by Dori jabbing him with his boot. “Get up, you’re making us late!”

“Sod off,” Nori grumbled, rubbing his eyes and sitting up. Everyone else was packed up and ready to go. Dori shooed him off his bedroll, rolling it up neatly and packing it away in one of their bags.

Nori was fixing his hair when out of the corner of his eye he saw a pair of large, furry feet pad over to where their bags lay. “Do you need me to carry any of these?” Bilbo’s voice came. Nori turned and saw that Bilbo was dressed and was wearing a large backpack.

“Seeing us off?” Nori asked, though he was pretty sure that wasn’t the case, his heart already sinking.

“Well, no.” Bilbo cleared his throat and looked up at Nori. “I’ve decided to come. You see, I realized last night that you might not come back. Not that you wouldn’t come see me if you’re successful, but...well, facing a dragon is a dangerous business. And I would hardly be able to get to know you if you were reduced to a pile of ash.”

Nori tried to think of something to say. He knew what he _wanted_ to say. He wanted to tell Bilbo to stay here. He wanted to tell him he didn’t want to be responsible for another family member’s death. But of course he wasn’t able to say it. He looked around and saw Balin looking over Bilbo’s contract with Thorin. Thorin nodded in satisfaction and Balin approached with a smile. “Bilbo, son of Nori...welcome to the company of Thorin Oakenshield.”

_Son of Nori_. Nori felt a bit light headed. Of course it was common to address a Dwarf as their father’s child, but he’d never dreamed he’d hear _his_ name used in such a manner. Bilbo, for his part, seemed to like it, if the way his eyes lit up and his smile were any indication.

“I’ve got the bags lad, no worries,” Dori said. Bilbo tried to insist on taking at least one but Dori shooed him away. Dori gave Nori a pointed look as they began to file out of Bag End, Fili, Kili and Ori chattering excitedly among themselves.

As they stood outside loading up the ponies, Nori watched Bilbo turn back to the closed door of his home, gaze at it for a few long moments, then square his shoulders and turn back. “I’m ready,” he announced, marching up to the nearest available pony. Nori watched Bilbo try unsuccessfully to mount it on his own for a moment before moving to help him. It was only after he’d gotten Bilbo properly seated that he realized he’d knocked Bofur, who had been about to assist Bilbo himself, out of the way to do so. 

“Just trying to help,” the easy-going Dwarf said with a smile. “You have it well in hand though, it seems.” He cast Nori a wink and mounted his own pony.

Bilbo did not look back again until they had reached the edge of The Shire. Nori thought, hoped, that Bilbo may yet change his mind, but he did not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I noticed upon rewatching AUJ that Nori was one of the Dwarves who bet against Bilbo coming. I tried to put that in the story, i really did, but I just couldn't get the scene to work so I ended up doing this instead. I figured since the story was already AU it wouldn't hurt anything.
> 
> I'm trying to decide how dickish Thorin is going to be towards Bilbo in this. I can't imagine Thorin being nearly as rude to him as he is in the movie, considering he's the son of one of the Company. Though it would be interesting to see how long Nori could hold his tongue before he had to say something about it.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: There is explicit sex in this chapter in the form of a flashback. Begins at the large block of italicized text.

Nori had been expecting to be barraged with questions by Bilbo but it was clear that his son had some adjusting to do to life on the road. He was apparently allergic to the ponies and Nori had found himself trying to find a handkerchief or at least a suitable substitute for one when Bofur had ripped a pocket off of his coat and tossed it to Bilbo. Nori had felt both embarrassment and irritation at the way some of the others had laughed.

It was hard for him to understand how this fussy creature had come from him and Belladonna. Had she really changed so much once she had left him? Had the wild, outspoken lass turned into a boring, domestic wife, married to a boring, proper husband? Apparently so. It pissed him off, honestly, to think of her spirit having been dimmed so. But perhaps it was what she felt she had to do, in order to give Bilbo a good upbringing.

Nori tried to picture he and Belladonna raising Bilbo together and couldn’t help but chuckle at the image of Bilbo with long hair and braids, traveling from town to town with his parents, going to the pubs with his father and nicking items from the street vendors when they weren’t looking. No, he had to admit that was not a good upbringing for a child.

Bilbo seemed to get better at things though as days passed, it was slow going but he complained less and Ori had knitted him some gloves. Fili and Kili seemed to delight in picking on him but it seemed good-natured enough and Bilbo didn’t seem to really mind, they were young lads on their first adventure and Nori really just saw it as their way of blowing off tension. Thorin really needed to lighten up and stop yelling at them.

Speaking of Thorin...he wasn’t being particularly kind to Bilbo. He never called Bilbo by his name, instead just addressing him as ‘burglar’. He would yell at him if he felt Bilbo wasn’t moving fast enough or pulling his weight. And Nori could not say a thing to the exiled King, because he was in no position to do so.

As dusk approached they stopped at an abandoned farmhouse to camp for the night; given the condition of the place Nori thought it had been abandoned for some time but Gandalf said that last he knew a farmer and his family had lived here. He advised Thorin to find another place to stop but Thorin had insisted, ordering Oin and Gloin to get a fire going and sending his nephews off to watch the ponies.

Nori helped Bilbo unpack his pony and pretended not to listen as Gandalf and Thorin argued about going to Rivendell. The Wizard gave up and stalked by them, looking furious.

“Everything all right? Gandalf, where are you going?” Asked Bilbo.

“To seek the company of the only one around here who’s got any sense,” Gandalf grumbled.

“Who’s that?” 

“Myself, Mr. Baggins! I’ve had enough of Dwarves for one day!” Bilbo stared open-mouthed as Gandalf walked off.

“Is he coming back?” Bilbo asked, looking at Nori. Nori merely shrugged.

Once camp is set up and Bombur gets dinner started, Nori finds himself and Bilbo sitting on a log near the edge of the camp. They sit silently for awhile, smoking as the sun sets. Bilbo begins giving him sideways looks, so Nori figures the uncomfortable questions are finally about to start.

“So...how did you and Mother meet?” Bilbo asked.

“Ah, well..I tried to steal her coinpurse,” Nori said. “Succeeded at first, little did I know that the lass knew I’d done it.”

“What did she do?” Bilbo asked with interest.

“She stole it back. And mine as well. I didn’t know she had until she came right up to me and handed mine back.”

_Excuse me, Sir,” A tart female voice came from behind Nori, “But I believe this is yours.”_

_Oh hell; he knew that voice. He turned towards the tiny Hobbit lass, eyes darting nervously for any sign of approaching guards._

_The dark-haired Hobbit held out a small pouch and Nori blinked in surprise as he realized that it was his coin purse. “This somehow came to be in my possession,” she said. “Actually, I nicked it as I was taking back my own purse that somehow ended up in **your** possession.”_

_“Can’t imagine how that happened,” Nori said in his best innocent voice, though it was obvious from the look in the Hobbit’s eyes that she didn’t believe him._

_“Indeed. But somehow it did, right out of my bodice and into your pocket. Nimble hands indeed, as when a lad puts his hands in my bodice I am usually aware.”_

_“Happen often, does it?” Nori asks, a lecherous grin on his face. He hadn’t really paid much attention to her features when he’d nicked her purse but now he took a moment to drink her in. She was a little thing, sure, but her bosom was quite ample for her stature. She had sweet-looking full lips and her dark hair was curly and long and bounced fetchingly. No beard of course, pity that, but she made up for it in the thick hair that covered her large feet. Nori suddenly really wanted to touch them._

_He half expects the lass to get flustered or offended by his statement, but the look she gives back to him is neither; dare he say that it practically mirrors his own? “I was wondering if you could show me exactly how you did it?” she asks._

_Nori raises his eyebrows. “I’d rather do that somewhere private, if you don’t mind. Wouldn’t want to give away my methods to anyone who might wander by.”_

_The Hobbit lass gives him a smile that makes Nori’s pants tighten. “Lead the way.”_

_A few minutes later they’re in his tiny room at one of the seediest inns in town and the lass is leaned back against the wall, back arched, making her bosom even more prominent. “If you would do it slowly, so I might be able to make full study of your method.”_

_Nori steps close to her, takes in the heaving of her breasts and the bold, wanton arch of her body and can’t help but feel he must have done something right in a past life, because Mahal knows he hasn’t done much right in this one. Are all Hobbits this openly sexual? She’s his first Hobbit, but if they’re all like this, she definitely won’t be his last._

_He slips his hand slowly into her bodice, into her cleavage where he had noticed her stashing her purse shortly before he’d made his move to steal it. It had been a challenging move to be sure, but it had been one he’d pulled off successfully before. He’d have to ask her how she realized he’d taken it if she hadn’t felt him reach in. Later._

_Small, soft hands close around Nori’s wrist, of the hand that’s buried in her cleavage. “I don’t know how I could have missed the feel of this hand...so large and rough as it is.” Then she’s guiding his hand out of her cleavage, guiding it to the swell of her breast, and Nori figures this is his ‘go’ signal and goes in for a kiss._

_It’s a little awkward due to the height difference; he has to lean down a fair bit and she stands on her tiptoes but it’s easily the best kiss he’s ever had. Her lips are plush and soft and she tastes faintly of some sort of tobacco. He pushes his other hand into her bodice as well, now cupping both breasts and circling the rapidly hardening nipples with his thumbs. She moans against his mouth and suddenly her arms are around his neck and she’s climbing him, large feet hooked around his waist._

_Mahal, she’s light! Nori walks them over to the bed, still joined at the mouth, and falls back onto it with her on top of him. Normally he preferred to be the one on top but he didn’t want to risk crushing the little lass. She broke the kiss and sat up, unlacing her bodice and pushing her dress off down to her waist, and Nori sits up to get his own shirts off as well as kick off his boots. He stares hungrily at her exposed breasts and she looks at his densely furred chest with equal desire._

_Nori doesn’t usually take this much time getting down to business, but he really wants to take her in and can’t help but feel a thrill that she seems to want to do the same to him. Her little hands are combing through his chest hair, occasionally tugging and the sensation is incredibly erotic, as is the look of wonder as she gazes at herself doing it. Her hands reach the waist of his breeches and open them and she gets off of him long enough for Nori to completely strip himself and for her to take her dress the rest of the way off._

_He props himself against the headboard, stroking himself slowly as they take in each other’s fully naked bodies. Her skin is flawless, without a single scar or blemish. The nipples that tip her lovely breasts are dark pink and are tight with desire. Her belly is soft-looking and Nori finds himself wanting to bury his face in it. He sees the dark curls at the junction of her thighs and he thinks he quite wants to bury his face in **that** as well. He reaches for her and she does not resist._

_She ends up kneeling on his upper thighs, her hands kneading the strong muscle there as Nori latches onto a breast, mouth widening to take as much of it in as he can while his tongue caresses the hard peak. He takes long minutes worshipping those delightful breasts, suckling and licking until she’s clutching at his head and making the most lovely noises of pleasure he’s ever heard._

_He lies back down, kissing that sweet soft belly as he goes, and guides her so that her knees are now on his shoulders and her cunny is above his face. He nuzzles the damp curls before sliding his tongue along the outer lips and Mahal does she taste wonderful. He takes hold of her plump, soft backside and pulls her down firmly against his mouth, feasting on her, using sucking lips and probing tongue to make the wee lass rock and whine, and then scream as she climaxes. He pushes his tongue inside her, wriggling inside the tight, slick channel and feels his cock throb as she rewards him with another climax._

_She rolls off of him and tugs at his arm; he gets the hint and rolls with her, carefully poising himself over her. She spreads her legs wide and raises them, squeezing and rubbing his cock with both hands and the invitation is obvious._

_He uses his fingers first to try to prepare her; she’s very slick but so tight and while he’s average endowed for a Dwarf his cock seems impossibly huge for this lovely little creature to take. She doesn’t let him do this for long though, pulling herself off his fingers and urging his cock forward._

_It’s the most amazing thing he’s ever experienced. She fits his member like a glove, soft insides caressing him as he pushes into her inch by inch. He can’t help but stare in shock as he feels his bollocks settle against her, indicating that she’s taken all of him. He looks to her face to see if she’s in pain and is surprised to see that not only is she smiling, when she catches his gaze she actually giggles._

_“Can feel you all the way up in my belly,” she says, and Nori’s bollocks suddenly tighten and tingle._

_“Oi lass, you keep talkin’ like that this ain’t gonna last long,” Nori pants._

_She bucks against him and he curses loudly in Dwarvish. “Best get to it then,” she says with a wicked grin._

_It’s embarrassing, really, how short a time he lasts. It takes all he has to hold on long enough to give her another climax and when he goes to pull out her body doesn’t seem to want him to leave. He doesn’t want to leave it either, but he knows he has to, and barely manages to do so before the first spurts come, his seed painting her belly and breasts._

_He collapses next to her, the only sounds in the room their labored breathing. The Hobbit lass holds out her hand._

_“I’m Belladonna, by the way,” she says._

_Nori laughs and shakes the offered hand. “Nori. Nice to meet you.”_

“I guess I impressed her,” Nori said. “She certainly impressed me.”

“She never told me she was a thief,” Bilbo said.

“Not somethin’ you want to tell your child when you’re trying to raise him respectable,” Nori said.

“Well, I guess not.” Bilbo sighed. “Of course this means that I have burglar blood from both my parents and am still not at all good at it.”

“Who says you’re not? You just need a little training, I’d be happy to help you with that,” Nori said. He was pleased he could find some way the two of them could bond, even if Dori would definitely not approve. “Let’s keep this between us though, hm?” He smiled when Bilbo jerked his head in Dori’s direction and raised his eyebrows, a small smile on his own lips. Smart lad.

Bilbo looked down and fidgeted. “There is a question that has been weighing on my mind, and I am not sure I truly want to know the answer to it, but I feel yet that I must ask it. I won’t judge you for your answer, I understand you may have been a different person all those years ago...”

Nori was sure he wasn’t going to like this, but said, “Go on.”

“Well...what I’ve been wondering is...I know Mother told me that she thought you wouldn’t want the responsibility of being a parent, but if she had told you she was expecting me instead of just leaving, what would you have done?” Bilbo swallowed hard. “Would you have tried to give it a go? Told her to leave? Or maybe tried to drag her to the nearest herbalist to get me out of her? Like I said, I’m not sure I want to know, but still, I feel the need...”

“Dinner!” Bombur called.

Nori inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. “Go and get some food lad,” he said to Bilbo, patting his shoulder. When Bilbo gave him a look Nori said, “Your question...it’s not something I’ve had time to reflect on. I only found you recently and I’m still wrappin’ my head around a lot of things. Let me think on it a bit and I I’ll get back to you.”

“Honest answer,” Bilbo says as he rises.

“Honest answer,” Nori nods.

Bilbo goes over to get his food and Bofur is standing there next to his rotund brother; the strangely hatted Dwarf gives Bilbo a brilliant smile, showing off those dimples of his, and hands Bilbo not one bowl of soup but two. Bilbo nods and heads off in the direction where the ponies are...delivering food to Fili and Kili, then. 

Nori has noticed that Bofur seems to pay a lot of attention to Bilbo. He teases him a lot but he also is quite helpful to him and Nori is starting to think he may have to give the shovel talk at some point. Well, Bilbo could do worse, Bofur was a skilled tradesman and had a good heart. Not bad looking either.

Nori had just retrieved his own bowl and was sitting down to eat when Fili came running in a panic, babbling about Bilbo and ponies and Trolls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In case someone doesn't know, 'the shovel talk' is the 'break his heart and I'll kill you' speech. I don't think personally I'd want one of those from Nori, I imagine his involve much more painful things than shovels.


	5. Chapter 5

So, this was what it was like to be a proud parent.

His brilliant boy had just saved them all from being eaten by three very ugly (and not entirely as stupid as one would first assume) Trolls. 

Of course Thorin was totally ungrateful. He acted like the whole incident was Bilbo’s fault and not his nephews’, who probably were screwing around when they should have been watching the ponies. And Nori would like to box the ears of both the Princes for thinking it was a good idea to send Bilbo after the ponies by himself. 

Nori did feel a bit better when he overheard Gandalf chiding Thorin for blaming the whole thing on Bilbo, pointing out that Bilbo had given them the time they needed until sunrise so Gandalf could turn the trolls to stone. And he felt tremendous satisfaction at the chastised look on Thorin’s face.

Of course, Thorin didn’t apologize to Bilbo.

“You’re a bit red,” Bilbo’s voice came, startling Nori out of his thoughts. Nori was confused for a moment before Bilbo pointed to Nori’s face.

“Oh yes, well, getting dangled over a fire’ll do that to you I suppose.” When Bilbo frowned and looked down Nori asked, “What’s wrong?”

“It’s all my fault,” Bilbo said despondently.

“What, this whole thing? It wasn’t you that wasn’t watchin’ the ponies like they should have been.”

“No, no,” Bilbo sighed. “See, I wanted us to go back to camp and get the rest of you...at first. But then Fili and Kili were going on about how I was the burglar, and with how small and quick I was they would never catch me. I...” he shook his head. “I started thinking about how proud you would be of me if I pulled it off. I _wanted_ you to be proud of me, so...i went. And I _failed_.”

Nori gaped at Bilbo’s words; his son had turned away, head lowered, fists clenched. Bilbo had put his life at risk to please him. Something he couldn’t name surged in his heart. “Bilbo, I _am_ proud of you.” When Bilbo glanced at Nori, looking unconvinced Nori said, “What you did was brilliant. No one else would have thought of that. If not for you we’d all be bits in a Troll’s stool by now.” Nori moved to stand in front of Bilbo and put his hands on his shoulders. “I am _so_ proud.”

Bilbo looked up at him, his face lighting up. “I...I’m glad. I hope I keep making you proud.”

“I’ve no doubt you will.” Nori let out a surprised grunt when Bilbo threw himself into his arms, hugging him tightly. 

“Awww, will you look at that now!” Bofur’s cheery voice came. “Ain’t that about the sweetest thing you ever saw!” Nori looked up and saw Bofur watching, a big grin on his face, his eyes twinkling with warmth. He wasn’t the only one watching, in fact most of the company was, including Gandalf and Thorin.

Bilbo pulled away, the tips of his ears red. Over his shoulder, Nori made an obscene gesture at Bofur, who merely laughed.

Nori and Thorin’s eyes met, and Nori could have sworn for a moment that Thorin’s mouth had curled up ever so slightly in a smile...then it was gone. “Let’s get packed up and moving,” Thorin said loudly. “The Trolls must have had a cave nearby, we’ll see if they have anything we can use.”

Nori watched Bofur throw an arm around Bilbo’s shoulders as they walked off. As Gandalf walked by, the wizard gave Nori a smile and a wink.

Nori grinned and followed the others back to camp.

**

Things seemed to be looking up; the cave smelled awful but it was full of things the Trolls had taken from their victims. They found casks full of treasures and he and Bofur seemed to have had the same thought. “Shame to leave it lying around where anyone could take it,” Bofur said.

“Agreed,” said Gloin. “Nori, get a shovel.”

Nori, Bofur and Gloin set about burying them. Making a long term deposit, Gloin had called it. Soon enough Thorin was calling for them to leave the cave so they could be on their way. 

Bilbo had stayed outside, the smell too much for him; he was about to follow Nori to the ponies when Gandalf waylaid him. 

“Bilbo, here,” Gandalf said, holding out a small sword. “This is about your size.”

“I can’t take this,” Bilbo said nervously.

“The blade is of Elvish make which means it will glow when Orcs or Goblins are nearby.”

“Sounds useful,” Nori commented, stepping closer to inspect. Bilbo looked uncertain.

“I’ve never used a sword in my life,” Bilbo said.

“And I hope you never have to. But if you do, remember this: true courage is about knowing not when to take a life, but when to spare one.” The wizard smiled as Bilbo looked to Nori for confirmation and Nori patted him on the back and nodded his agreement.

“Something’s coming!” Thorin shouted. Bilbo looked nervously between Gandalf and Nori.

“Stay together! Hurry now! Arm yourselves!” Gandalf said. Nori grabbed his mace and Bilbo drew his new sword as they ran into the woods.

What they were greeted with made Nori nearly drop his weapon in utter perplexity. It was a sled...pulled by giant rabbits. Ridden by a small Man with...was that bird shit on the side of his head??

When Gandalf greeted the strange person Bilbo said excitedly, “Radagast the Brown! Gandalf told me about him, he’s a wizard!”

“ _That’s_ a wizard?” Dori asked. “He looks like a madman of some sort.”

“Well look at the wizard _we’re_ traveling with,” Nori muttered.

Radagast seemed to be keen on telling Gandalf something but couldn’t remember what it was; everyone but Gandalf was getting tired of waiting, even Bilbo, who had started out so interested in the odd little wizard. The two wizards moved away to talk in private and Nori took the opportunity to do an inspection of Bilbo’s new weapon.

“Rather light,” Nori said, giving it an experimental swing. “Good for you, I suppose.” He watched Bilbo try to pick up his mace from the ground. “Careful there lad.”

“I got it,” Bilbo grunted as he pulled the mace upright. “It’s not that heavy...oof!” he fell over when he tried to actually lift the weapon completely off the ground. Nori moved to help him up with the help of Bofur, who had been hovering nearby as usual.

“Well that was stupid of me,” Bilbo muttered, looking embarrassed. 

“Ah lad, who cares if you’re not strong,” Bofur said. “You’re clever as anything! Get that from your Dad, I wager,” the behatted Dwarf said with a wink at Nori.

“His Mum was pretty brilliant herself,” Nori said. He felt an unexpected surge of emotion as he spoke those words; memories of her flooded his mind and it felt like he’d been hit between the eyes with it. Bilbo was looking up at him with concern when there came a loud howl.

“Was that a wolf? Are...are there wolves out there?” Bilbo asked nervously, looking around.

Bofur looked equally nervous. “Wolves? No, that’s not a wolf.”

If Nori’s thoughts had not been mired in the past, he would have noticed the giant warg on the cliff just behind him. As it was, he didn’t see it until it was bearing down on him.

**

Nori really should have known better than to think anything would go right for him for long. First he’d almost gotten roasted alive by Trolls, and then he’d almost become Warg chow. The Warg had knocked him over, knocking the wind out of him, and he’d vaguely heard Bilbo scream his name as a massive pair of jaws opened to take his head off.

No, it hadn’t been his name. It had been _Dad_. 

Thorin had fortunately slain the beast but their troubles were far from over; there were more of them and soon enough they were running for their lives, not only from Wargs but Orcs. And Orcs riding Wargs. 

By the time Gandalf had led them to the secret passageway within the rock everyone was out of breath, but miraculously unharmed. When they emerged from the narrow passageway into the light Nori, having not had the chance to completely regain his air after having it knocked out of him, leaned back against the rock for a few seconds to get it back. 

“Are you all right?” Bilbo asked.

“Fine,” Nori nodded as the burning in his chest from lack of air subsided.

“I froze,” Bilbo frowned. “I was right there and I didn’t help you.”

“It’s all right,” Nori said, patting him on the shoulder.

“No it’s not!” Bilbo insisted, jerking away. “If Thorin hadn’t jumped in you’d be dead now! You’d be dead and I’d never...we’d never...” He made a frustrated sound and shook his head. 

Nori was trying to think of some way to make this better when Bofur bounded over. “You lads have to see this!” He said, taking hold of Bilbo’s arm and dragging him along. Nori followed them to the edge where the others were gathered and watched Bilbo’s mouth drop open and eyes widen in wonder. Below them was a lush green valley with multiple waterfalls, and in the middle an Elven city. 

“The Valley of Imladris,” Gandalf said. “In the Common Tongue, it’s known by another name.”

“Rivendell,” Bilbo breathed, both looking and sounding in complete awe.

Nori was vaguely aware of Thorin and Gandalf arguing, but his concentration was on Bilbo, the way his face lit up as he took in the Elven city.

“Mother visited here,” Bilbo said. “I’ve dreamed so long of seeing it myself, and now...” He gave Nori a wide grin before looking below again. 

Nori thought Bilbo was going to die of pure joy when Gandalf started leading them down into the city. It made Nori feel incredibly good to see Bilbo so happy and he could tell from the look on Bofur’s face as he watched Bilbo that it made the other Dwarf happy as well. He wondered when Bofur was going to finally decide to formally court Bilbo. 

Nori thought he may even skip the shovel talk.

**

Bilbo’s joy at being in Rivendell made up for the crappy food and horrible music. Well, almost.

Nori had no personal opinion either way about Elves in general. While Thorin despised them, and many of the others were at least distrustful of them, Nori’s feelings on them were pretty neutral. Also, they had some pretty nice looking stuff to steal.

Bilbo was tied up with Thorin, Gandalf, and Lord Elrond so after dinner Nori joined the others in searching for some decent food. He ended up with Bofur (well, Bofur had followed him when Nori had split off from the others) and they had found a stash of various meats.

“Why didn’t they give us any of this for dinner?” Bofur asked as he gathered up an armful of sausages.

“Probably did it on purpose just to piss us off,” Nori shrugged.

“Well to be fair, we did just sort of barge in. I don’t think they liked my song either,” Bofur said, sounding a bit despondent at that.

“I liked it,” Nori said. When Bofur gave him a lovely smile in response Nori felt a little embarrassed. “I think they liked less the food throwing. Did you see the look on that Elf’s face when Kili almost nailed him in the head with a roll? I thought he was going to start crying.” Both Dwarves laughed.

“Oh hey, I happened to overhear Bilbo and Elrond talking about your Hobbit lass,” Bofur said. “Guess she stopped here on her way back to The Shire all those years ago.”

“Bilbo said she visited here,” Nori acknowledged, feeling a weight settle in his chest again at the mention of Belladonna.

Bofur leaned closer to Nori and said in a gentle voice, “Elrond said that she seemed quite heartbroken.”

Nori’s heart twisted in his chest. All this time he had assumed that Belladonna had considered their time together a mistake, but now he knew she had cared for him... _really_ cared for him. And he had cared for her. He had never told her that and he would never get to. Had she died thinking that she’d meant nothing to him? The thought made emotions surge in him in a way that made Nori feel helpless and out of control.

Bofur put his hand on the back of Nori’s neck in a comforting gesture, and for a moment Nori wanted to tell Bofur everything. He wanted to tell him how special Belladonna had been, how waking up to her every morning had been an amazing gift he hadn’t thought he’d deserved, how her smile had made him feel giddy and how empty he had been without her. His vision became blurry as his eyes filled with unshed tears. Bofur tried to pull him into a hug and something in Nori snapped.

“Fuck off!” Nori shouted, yanking violently away from Bofur and slapping his hand away. “Why the fuck did you follow me, anyway? You don’t need to kiss up to me, Bilbo’s an adult, you don’t need my permission!” Nori stalked off.

It had taken Nori nearly an hour to get his emotions under control enough to go join the others again. He’d only shed a few tears, unable to stop their flow as he struggled to push all his guilt and self-loathing down. Finally he was able to settle a stony expression in place and make his way to the porch that they had decided to camp on for the night.

He sat away from the others, smoking his pipe and not talking to anyone. He tried to stop himself but he glanced at Bofur, who was roasting a sausage over the fire. The behatted Dwarf caught him looking and Nori quickly turned away again.

A few moments later Bofur spoke up. “Bombur.”

Nori looked up as Bofur tossed the sausage to his rotund brother, who was seated atop a small table near Nori. Bombur caught the sausage and that was when the table began to creak ominously.

Nori got to his feet when he heard the first snap of wood and a moment later the table completely gave way, sending Bombur crashing to the ground. 

The room filled with laughter, and it took Nori a few seconds to realize that some of that laughter was his own. He laughed hard and long, feeling a tremendous weight lifting off his chest and his spirit lightening. Bofur was rolling around laughing and when their eyes met Nori found himself smiling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figure Bofur, being the lovely person he was, wouldn't have held a grudge at Nori's outburst. I think he would have understood where that had come from and tried to find another way to cheer him up...hence, the sausage incident. I will never be able to watch that scene in the movie again without imagining that it happened for that exact reason.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: This chapter mentions an attempted rape.

Nori reached for his daggers automatically when he felt someone’s hands on him; luckily his sleep-heavy eyes recognized Bilbo before he gutted him. He rubbed his eyes and looked around at the other Dwarves still asleep and snoring loudly; it was still dark. “Something wrong?”

“Couldn’t sleep,” Bilbo said. He chewed on his bottom lip for a moment before asking, “Could we talk?”

Bilbo led Nori to a balcony overlooking a waterfall and leaned against the rail. “It’s so beautiful here,” he said softly. 

“I can see how it would be very appealing to a Hobbit,” Nori said as he leaned against it himself. He looked at his son and saw the look of conflict on his face. “What’s on your mind, lad?”

Bilbo let out a deep breath. “Lord Elrond has invited me to stay here. For as long as I want.”

“And you’re considering it.”

“Yes.” Bilbo sighed. “I...I want to be with you, but...” 

“Bilbo, if you want to stay, I’ll understand. And I’ll come back when this is all over, I meant that back in The Shire and I mean it now.” 

“But what if you _can’t_ come back? What if you...” Bilbo swallowed hard. “I wish we’d met sooner. I wish Mother had told me earlier, so we could have had more time.” Bilbo frowned. “The way Lord Elrond talked about her...she sounded like she was heartbroken to have left you. Why did she then? Why did she not tell you she was carrying me?”

Hearing that Belladonna had really cared for him for the second time hurt nearly as much as the first time when Bofur had said it, but the feeling wasn’t as sharp or overwhelming; he could keep his composure for Bilbo. “You asked me once what I would have done if your mother had told me.” He looked back at his son. “I would have told her to go back to the Shire, find a respectable Hobbit lad, and marry him. To find someone who would be a good husband and father. Because that person was not me.”

“That’s exactly what she did. I suppose she knew that would be your answer, so why bother telling you.” Bilbo gazed back at Nori and said softly, “If she had told you, and you had said that to her...and she had refused to go, what would you have done then?”

“I would have said the cruelest things I could think of to make her despise me so she would leave anyway.”

“Perhaps she knew that too. And she didn’t want to hate you. I dare say, in fact, that she loved you.”

Nori felt his vision blur and looked away from Bilbo, leaning against the rail of the balcony and wiping at the corners of his eyes with his thumbs. “I dare say that I loved her too.” He heard Bilbo let out along, shaky sigh next to him.

“So many things could have been different,” Bilbo said, his voice thick with emotion.

“She made the right decision, Bilbo. The way I was living, the way _we_ were living...that was no way for a child to be raised.”

“You two could have settled down somewhere! You loved each other, you could have made it work!” Bilbo said in a raised voice. “She didn’t even give it a chance!”

“Don’t you dare blame your mother for this!” Nori said, taking hold of Bilbo’s shoulders and shaking him a little. Bilbo looked up at him with a stricken expression and Nori hated himself for his outburst. “I’m sorry,” Nori said, patting Bilbo’s shoulders gently. “But you have to understand...” he sighed. “I had a reputation. A very bad one. And there were people who wanted to hurt me, and anyone I was close to. It’s the reason I didn’t go back home to see my brothers often...I didn’t want to lead anyone unsavory to them. Your mother...” He hesitated, wondering if he should tell Bilbo this. It was unpleasant but his son was an adult, he could handle it. 

“One day your mother went out to the market by herself. Wanted to get some cloth for a new dress. Green, she said, because it was my favorite color.” Nori smiled a little, sadly. “She came back bruised and with her clothes torn...a Dwarf that I had crossed years ago had seen us together a few days before and decided to wait for his opportunity to exact revenge. He’d dragged her into an alley and...” Nori swallowed hard at the memory of her, his proud little Hobbit lass coming home with swollen, bruised lips, disheveled hair, and bruises shaped like broad Dwarven hands on her arms.

Bilbo looked at Nori with wide eyes filled with horror. “Did he...did he violate her?”

“He attempted to...she managed to get away before he could.” Nori sighed and shook his head. “Do you see Bilbo? That was my fault. As long as she was with me she wasn’t safe. Even if we had tried to make a life together, even if I had tried to have a real job and be normal, my past would have always followed me. And some of these people...they wouldn’t have cared that your mother was pregnant, or that we had a small child. Your mother did absolutely the right thing by making sure she got _far_ away from me before you were born. It was _my_ fault and mine only that we couldn’t have a life together.” 

Nori closed his eyes as self loathing coursed through him;so many possibilities of what could have been had he been a more honorable Dwarf went through his head. 

“Dad?” 

Nori opened his eyes and smiled weakly at Bilbo, who was looking at him with concern. “Sorry.” He pulled Bilbo into a hug. “Why don’t you try to get some sleep? We’re getting an early start, if you’re going.”

Bilbo yawned and pressed his face into Nori’s shoulder. “Can I sleep with you?”

Nori ruffled Bilbo’s curls gently and nodded, “Come on then.” They went back to where the other Dwarves were sleeping and Bilbo curled up to Nori’s side on the bedroll. As Bilbo drifted off to sleep Nori looked over to where Bofur was sleeping. _Think he’d rather like you over there with him lad,_ Nori thought. 

Nori fell asleep, and dreamed of all the things that could have been different. He and Belladonna in their own home. Watching her belly grow with his child, feeling his unborn son moving under his palm. Holding him for the first time. Doting Uncles Dori and Ori fussing over Bilbo and knitting him things. Teaching his son a Dwarven craft. Eventually more children, some with small feet, some with large, some smooth faced and some with fine beards. Watching Belladonna grow old and feeling sad, but also grateful that he was given this time with her. Holding her in his arms and kissing her as she breathes her last.

Nori woke up, his eyes feeling hot and sticky and his vision blurry, to find the first light of dawn creeping over the horizon and that he and Bilbo are now covered in a blanket that doesn’t belong to them. Something falls off as he stirs and he picks it up to discover that the item was a handkerchief that had been neatly folded and placed on his chest while he slept. He rubs his eyes with the handkerchief to clear them and once he can see again he notices Bofur is also awake, sitting quietly curled by the remains of the fire and realization strikes. Bofur had a blanket last night. This was Bofur’s blanket.

Nori sat up, dislodging Bilbo in the process but his son did nothing more than grunt and roll over. Nori tucked the blanket around Bilbo snugly and walked over to sit next to Bofur. When he held out the handkerchief to him Bofur waved his hand. “Keep it,” he whispered. When Nori raised his braided eyebrows in silent question Bofur said, “You were crying in your sleep. Don’t worry, no one else saw.”

Nori snorted, not being able to hold back a smile at how Bofur had known that it would have been Nori’s main concern. “Thank you. And I’m sorry about how I acted last night.”

“No no, that was all my fault. I tend to not know when to keep my mouth shut.” Bofur smiled ruefully.

“Hadn’t noticed,” Nori said with a smirk. When Bofur gave him a sunny grin Nori leaned closer and said, “It’s not my business, but in my opinion you really should stop beating around the bush,” he said, nodding towards Bilbo.

Bofur frowned in confusion. “What?”

“I’ve seen how you hover about him. So just get on with it. I approve of you with my son if you were concerned about that.”

Bofur continued to look confused for a moment before his expression changed to disbelief. “You think that I...want to court Bilbo?”

It was Nori’s turn to be confused. “You don’t?”

Bofur let out a shaky laugh. “No, I...aw hell...” Bofur sighed and put his hands over his eyes.

Before Nori could ask any questions Thorin came marching in and shouted for everyone to get up.

**

Nori wasn’t surprised that Bilbo chose to go with them. It didn’t keep his gut from clenching with guilt when Bilbo took a last wistful look at Rivendell before they entered the rock path they’d originally arrived through, though.

 _Should have made him stay_ , Nori thought. He was never going to forgive himself if anything happened to Bilbo. His son was sticking close to him today, looking lost in his own thoughts as they trudged across the plains.

Bofur still hovered nearby, but he was not his usual sunny self; he too looked lost in thought and his brother and cousin had not failed to notice. Nori didn’t understand the glares he was getting from both Bombur and Bifur; was he the reason Bofur was upset? But why?

Nori tried to replay events over in his head. Yes he’d gone off on Bofur the other night, but the other Dwarf had seemed to forgive him; it was only until Nori had mistakenly assumed that Bofur had wanted to court Bilbo that things had gotten odd. Nori thought about the way Bofur had been behaving with Bilbo, and Bofur’s reaction to Nori’s incorrect assumption, and the way Bofur had been so complimentary towards Nori and his less than stellar parenting skills...

Nori stopped dead in his tracks as realization struck.

Oh, hell. No, it couldn’t be.

“Dad, what’s wrong?” Bilbo asked, stopping when he noticed Nori had stopped. Kili, who had almost ran right into Nori, gave him a funny look as he went around him.

Nori looked up and noticed that Bofur had stopped too; their eyes met and the look in the other Dwarf’s eyes told him everything.

“Keep up!” Thorin shouted from the lead.

Nori started walking again, eyes now on the ground; he merely shook his head when Bilbo tried to get out of him what was wrong. Ori was watching him with concern but said nothing.

That night when they reached the forest and set up camp Nori didn’t feel much like eating; his stomach was in knots. He sat on the far side of the camp alone, trying to sort out his thoughts. It wasn’t long however before Bilbo came to him, holding two bowls of stew; Nori took the bowl Bilbo offered to him before his son sat down next to him. “What’s bothering you?” Bilbo asked with concern.

Nori hadn’t planned on saying it, but it just came out. “Bofur’s courting me.”

“Well that’s good news, yes? Unless...do you not like Bofur?”

“Of course I like him.”

“Then what’s wrong? Is it because he’s male?”

Nori shook his head. “No, Dwarves don’t really care about that sort of thing.” He put his hands to his forehead. “I’m talking about my love life to my child,” he muttered. When Bilbo made a small offended noise Nori patted Bilbo on the shoulder and decided that since he’d already said graphic sexual things about the lad’s mother in front of him it couldn’t get any worse. “I mistook his intentions,” Nori said. “I thought he was courting _you_. But what he was doing was trying to show me that he could be a good parent. It’s considered the proper thing to do when you’re courting someone with children.”

“But I’m an adult.”

“Not by Dwarven standards. A Dwarf your age is still considered a child.” Nori shrugged. “I know from your mother how Hobbit aging works, I know you’re well into adulthood...I guess that’s why I missed what Bofur was trying to do.”

“I still don’t understand what the problem is?” Bilbo asked in confusion.

Nori scrubbed his hands over his face for a moment before standing and striding over to Bofur; he grabbed the other Dwarf’s arm and dragged him deeper into the woods. When they were out of sight of the others Nori turned to face Bofur. “Why?” Nori asked.

Bofur looked confused. “You need to be a bit more specific.”

“Why are you courting me?”

Still looking confused Bofur said, “For the same reason anyone does, I suppose.” Bofur sighed and looked away. “Silly of me to try...you’re from the line of Durin after all and I’m just a commoner.”

Nori let out a short bark of a laugh. “Oh Mahal. You know how my family is part of the line of Durin?” When Bofur looked at him Nori said, “One of my ancestors was the mistress of one of Thorin’s ancestors. They had an illegitimate child...my _noble_ bloodline is chock full of those, as the women, including my mother, tend to get used and tossed aside once the prick gets bored with them.”

Bofur frowned. “I’m sorry,” he said, his voice filled with compassion.

“Oh, I’m no better. I’m a criminal, and I’ve used people to get what I want. I’ve _fucked_ people to get what I want. I’ve had my cock in so many holes I can’t count them all and most of them I never even knew their names.” Nori put his hand on his own chest. “And this is what you’re interested in? This is what you want? Don’t you get it Bofur...I’m not too good for you, _you_ are too good for _me_. “ Nori shook his head and turned away.

“You don’t believe you deserve to be loved.”

Nori looked over his shoulder at Bofur and the depth of emotion in the other Dwarf’s eyes made Nori’s chest tighten. Bofur sighed and shook his head. “You got a bad lot in life. You’ve done things you’re not proud of. But you’re not a bad person. I’ve _seen_ that. You’re a bit of a scoundrel to be sure, but truth be told I have a weakness for that sort of thing.”

Nori turned fully towards Bofur again, staring into the other Dwarf’s eyes.

Bofur stepped closer, never breaking eye contact. “Bad people don’t do their damndest to be a parent to a child they never knew existed before. Bad people don’t feel guilt and cry over a lost love.” When Nori looked embarrassed at that last statement and looked down Bofur took Nori’s face in his hands and made him look back up. “You’re not perfect, never will be. I accept that. And if I end up having to drag your drunk arse away from a bar fight or bail you of of jail a few times, well, I knew what I signed up for.”

“As long as you realize that you are _way_ too good for me and I don’t deserve you..” Nori was cut off by Bofur closing what little space had been left between them and kissing him. 

It had been a long time since he’d been kissed, and the combination of Bofur’s chapped lips and his long mustache brushing against his beard was incredibly pleasurable. Nori found himself pushing the other Dwarf against a nearby tree and the sound Bofur made when he did so, a mixture of pain and arousal, set Nori’s blood on fire.

“I assume this means I can continue to court you?” Bofur asked breathlessly when Nori broke the kiss to pull Bofur’s scarf aside and bite at the now exposed skin. “Oooh,” Bofur gasped, eyes rolling up a bit. “If that’s a no I think the yes might kill me.”

Nori chuckled against Bofur’s skin as he sucked and bit a generous sized mark onto Bofur’s neck before pulling the scarf back into place. “Your funeral.” He smirked and put his hands against the tree on either side of Bofur’s head.

Bofur nodded amicably. “Aye, all of ours most likely.” He leaned in and said against Nori’s lips, “Just so you know, any time you get down on yourself, I’m going to kiss you.”

Nori snorted. “Not much of an incentive to stop.”

Bofur gave him a quick peck on the lips before slipping out from under Nori’s arms, somehow managing to do it without dislodging his hat. “Well look at it this way,” Bofur said as he turned to walk towards camp. “If you get a kiss if you get down on yourself...imagine what I’ll give you if you don’t.” Bofur looked over at his shoulder and gave him a sly wink before disappearing through the trees.

_Way too good for me_ , Nori thought. Still, he would be good for Bilbo...and even if Bofur came to his senses and realized Nori wasn’t worth it, he could enjoy it while it lasted. He smiled and headed back to camp.


	7. Chapter 7

Nori sighed and sped up, trying to get out of range of his and Bofur’s relatives...particularly Dori, who was arguing loudly with Bifur and Bombur about some courting matter or other.

As soon as they’d come back from the woods the night that Nori had accepted Bofur’s courtship Bofur had stated his intentions to the rest of the group, as was tradition. The number of catcalls and congratulations they had gotten was only slightly more than the blank stares and looks of surprise. Not that Nori had expected any less; no doubt they were wondering why a sweet Dwarf like Bofur would want with _him_. Nori honestly couldn’t figure it out either.

Bilbo had, predictably, been ecstatic. Bilbo was fully on board with Bofur becoming his other parent and had asked what the proper Dwarvish word for it was. Nori had told Bilbo it was a bit early for that and Bofur had merely laughed and given one of his beautiful grins and winked at Nori, causing Nori to drag him back into the woods for some more kissing, that was until Dori and Bifur had pulled them apart, both of them scolding.

“What do you care, it’s not like I can get him pregnant!” Nori scowled as he tried unsuccessfully to pull himself from his incredibly strong brother’s grip. Bofur had laughed loudly at that, being subdued only when Bifur had cuffed him rather hard upside the head.

“If nothing else, think about setting an example for your son,” Dori insisted.

Nori rolled his eyes. “I think that ship has already left the dock.”

“Aye, if anything I’d say Bilbo’s setting an example for his Dad rather than the other way around,” Bofur said cheekily. Nori made an obscene gesture at Bofur and grinned, Bofur answering back with his own grin and a suggestive wiggle of his eyebrows. This earned the behatted Dwarf another smack from his cousin.

“You’re acting like a couple of immature Dwarflings, control yourselves,” Dori said, dragging Nori back to camp.

They hadn’t had any time alone in days; both families had been watching them like hawks to make sure they didn’t do anything improper, it was driving him mad and he could tell that Bofur was in a similar state. Nori was well aware that a proper Dwarven courting could sometimes take years to complete, even decades, but they didn’t have that kind of time. They could die in Erebor, they could be killed by Orcs, hell, they could accidentally tumble off a cliff. A very real possibility, as Thorin had pushed them hard today to reach the mountains and everyone was exhausted.

It was Balin who had finally convinced Thorin to stop for the night, and everybody all but fell onto their bedrolls as a bleary eyed Bombur prepared the evening meal. Nori watched through heavy eyes as Bilbo took Kili aside and whispered to him. Kili looked briefly over in Nori’s direction and grinned before Bilbo made Kili look back at him with a scolding expression on his face. Fili soon joined them and the two brothers had identical mischievous looks on their faces as Bilbo spoke to them.

Nori dozed off for a bit until Bombur shouted that food was ready; Nori hauled himself up to get his share but Bilbo was already approaching with the bowls. Bilbo sat down on his own bedroll, which was right next to Nori’s, and a moment later Bofur was dropping his bedroll on Bilbo’s other side. When Nori raised an eyebrow in silent question Bofur said, “Bilbo had a little talk with our meddling relatives. They agreed we can sleep together, long as Bilbo’s in between us to make sure we don’t get up to nothing.”

Nori rolled his eyes, thinking that it wasn’t much of an improvement. It’d be rather frustrating to be so close to each other and not be able to touch.

Bilbo’s voice dropped to a near whisper. “I may have also arranged for Kili to volunteer for the first watch. Then he is going to wake me up for the next one, and by then everyone should be soundly asleep, if you get my meaning.”

Nori did indeed get Bilbo’s meaning, and apparently Bofur did too, as the other Dwarf’s eyebrows disappeared into the brim of his hat and a smile came to his face. “Definitely your son,” Bofur whispered.

“Yes, well, just try not to be too loud. And I intend to move my bedroll before you get up to..whatever it is you’re going to do. I’d rather it not get dirtied with...” Bilbo cleared his throat, “Emissions.”

Nori almost choked on his food at how prim Bilbo sounded, hiding a grin behind his hand. He set down his bowl and gently tapped his forehead to Bilbo’s, relishing the affectionate smile his son gave him as he did. 

They all settled down to sleep and Nori was awakened some time later by Bilbo gently shaking him; Bofur was already awake and Bilbo quickly moved his bedroll out of the way and headed to the other side of the camp where he was going to keep watch.

Bofur snuggled up to Nori and threw his blanket over both of them; they were both stripped to their underclothes, Bofur’s being a set of longjohns. Nori found them a bit ridiculous, but really it fit Bofur. The Dwarf himself was a bit ridiculous, with his odd hat and jaunty scarf, upturned braids and small patch of beard. Nori had never met another Dwarf like him and he doubted he ever would again.

_And this unique Dwarf wanted to be with him_. Nori was never going to be able to wrap his head around that.

Bofur took hold of Nori’s center set of beard braids to pull him in for a kiss and Nori gladly went. They kissed for long minutes, the kisses gradually becoming deeper and more heated. Bofur threw his leg over Nori’s and rolled them so Nori was on top of him.parting his legs so Nori could settle in between them, bringing their erections together through the fabric of their underthings. They surged against each other, swallowing each other’s moans as they ground together harder.

Nori reached between their bodies and stroked Bofur’s erection through his longjohns for a few moments before reaching through the opening to pull it free. Bofur fumbled with the ties on Nori’s trousers and Nori helped him unlace them and bit his lip to keep from groaning out loud when Bofur’s hand closed around him.

They stroked each other for a few minutes, kissing deeply, hips pumping in rhythm. Then Bofur pushed Nori away and before Nori could protest Bofur was sliding down, pulling the blanket up over his head as he went and pushing Nori’s legs apart.

Nori knew what was coming and his bollocks were already tightening at the mere thought of it; it had been a long time since he’d received this kind of pleasure and when he felt Bofur’s mouth close around his cock he jerked his hips up hard and felt Bofur choke at the unexpected movement. Nori stroked Bofur’s head in apology and left his hand there, feeling Bofur’s head gently bob as he gave Nori a slow, luxurious blowjob. When Nori got close he tugged on Bofur’s hair in the universal ‘you’re about to get a mouthful’ gesture and was pleased when Bofur didn’t pull off, just drew back to the head and suckled it and Nori had to bite into the blankets to keep from crying out loud as he came hard into Bofur’s mouth.

Nori shuddered in post-orgasmic sensitivity as Bofur swallowed all he had to give and then proceeded to clean him off with his tongue before tucking him back into his trousers. Nori pulled him back up and they kissed deeply for a moment before sliding down to return the favor.

Bofur was even further gone than Nori had been, the cockhead already swollen and tight between Nori’s lips and leaking generously. Nori swept the point of his tongue over the slit and had to clap his hand over Bofur’s mouth when a cry started to erupt from the other Dwarf’s lips. Nori had figured that Bofur was the vocal sort and while he looked forward to making him scream in pleasure at some point, this was definitely not the time. He knew Bofur wouldn’t last long enough for Nori to reciprocate the thorough seeing to he himself had received so he went for the quick and dirty method, sucking hard, stroking and squeezing what didn’t fit in his mouth.

Bofur bit into Nori’s palm when he came but Nori hardly noticed it; he was far too enamored with the feel of Bofur’s cock pulsing and twitching as his seed filled his mouth. Once Bofur was spent and relaxed, panting wetly against Nori’s palm, Nori cleaned him in the same way Bofur had done to him and put him away before sliding back up into Bofur’s embrace and kiss.

Bofur pulled the blankets up over their heads and whispered, “Sorry, I mean, for going off that fast. It’s been a really long time...I won’t even tell you how long, it’s embarrassing.” 

Nori chuckled and whispered back, “I didn’t mind. Though remind me that next time I should gag you first.” 

“Aye, always running at the mouth, I am.”

“I like that about you. Just not when we’re trying not to wake the whole camp. Or mortify my son.” Nori pulled the blanket down for a moment and glanced over at where Bilbo was sitting before covering himself again.

“He still covering his ears?” Bofur asked.

“No, he was? He heard us, then.”

“Well, he may have been covering them from the start. Didn’t notice, was a wee bit occupied.” Nori could feel Bofur’s grin against his mouth as they kissed.

Nori pressed his forehead to Bofur’s, thinking about how good this felt. How much he didn’t want for it to end. He hadn’t realized how lonely he’d been, how much he really did want someone to wake up to every day and grow old with. He didn’t think he’d mind Bofur being that someone.

He fell asleep holding Bofur and according to Bilbo the next morning it had taken quite the effort for his son to be able to wedge himself back in between them. But the ruse had apparently worked; neither Nori’s family or Bofur’s made any comment. And if Fili and Kili looked Nori’s way and snickered and winked as they set out towards the mountains, well, Nori could forgive them.

**

By the time they found the cave in the mountains everyone was soaked, exhausted, and more than a few of them were traumatized by the fact that they’d nearly been crushed by battling stone giants. Bilbo had nearly fallen to his death twice and Thorin had been the icing on the cake by declaring that Bilbo should not be here, that he had no place among them. Nori had almost lost it, his fists clenching, and he might have actually punched Thorin had Bofur not taken hold of his arm and held him back. Nori didn’t get Thorin’s attitude towards Bilbo; he had risked his own life to save Bilbo, had nearly fallen himself, and then had insulted him? If Thorin hated Bilbo so much why hadn’t he just let him fall and be done with him?

Bilbo for his part looked positively depressed; he walked with his head down and would not speak, not even to Nori and Bofur. After a quick search of the cave to make sure it was unoccupied they prepared to get some rest. Poor Bofur got chosen for first watch and Nori gave him a quick embrace and kiss (ignoring the indignant sound Dori made) before laying out his and Bilbo’s bedrolls and curling up with his son. He combed his hand through Bilbo’s curls and felt his son snuggle closer to him. “Don’t listen to him,” Nori whispered in his ear. “Thorin is wrong about you.”

Bilbo didn’t answer.

Nori hadn’t gotten much sleep the previous night (though he was by no means complaining about the circumstances, and hoped to repeat them again soon) so he fell asleep quickly. He was awoken by the realization that Bilbo’s warm weight by his side was gone. Nori rubbed his eyes and when he saw that Bilbo’s pack and walking stick were missing he bolted up into a sitting position and looked around, panic rising in his chest. He was about to call out for Bilbo, the risk of waking the entire company up be damned, when he heard Bilbo’s voice. It was obvious he was trying to keep it down but the cave’s echo carried it nonetheless.

“He doesn’t want me here!”

“Don’t let Thorin get to you,” Bofur’s voice came. “He just needs to warm up to you...”

“I’m not talking about him!”

Nori can’t see Bofur and Bilbo from where he is, but he can imagine the frown on Bofur’s face as he says, “You can’t mean your father.”

“Of course I mean him! He never wanted me along! You should have seen his face in Rivendell when I told him Lord Elrond had offered to let me stay there, he didn’t say it but I could see in his face that he wanted me to stay!”

“Bilbo,” Bofur’s tone was low and gentle, “Your Dad may have wanted you to stay, but not because he didn’t want you around. He wanted you to be _safe_.”

Nori blinked; he and Bofur had never discussed it, and yet the other Dwarf still knew. How could Bofur read him so well already?

“He told you that?” Bilbo asked.

“He didn’t need to. It’s in his eyes every time he looks at you. He’s terrified of losing you, lad. Don’t _ever_ think that that he doesn’t care about you. He loves you awful, he does.”

Nori caught movement out of the corner of his eye and saw that Thorin was also awake, and listening; Thorin couldn’t see Bofur and Bilbo either but his eyes were turned in their direction, a contemplative look on his face. Nori was so busy wondering why Thorin would even care about the conversation that he missed what Bilbo said next, but he heard Bofur’s heavy sigh and the other Dwarf say, “If you’re gonna go, at least say goodbye to him.”

Nori got up and made his way to the alcove by the entrance where Bofur had been keeping guard, ignoring Thorin’s eyes following him. Bilbo turned as he heard Nori approach and the expression on his son’s face...confusion, self doubt...broke Nori’s heart. Bilbo swallowed hard and looked away.

“Go if you want,” Nori said softly, “But don’t go because you think I don’t want you. Bofur is right, I want you to be safe. And he’s also right about how much I love you.” When Bilbo looked back at him Nori pulled Bilbo into his arms and embraced him tightly.

“What’s that then?” Bofur asked, brows furrowed as he looked at a spot near Bilbo’s waist. Nori and Bilbo looked down at the same time and saw a sliver of blue coming from the scabbard of Bilbo’s sword. Bilbo stepped back and drew the sword out several inches to reveal the brightly glowing blade.

Then the floor began to shift beneath them, and Thorin was shouting for everyone to get up. A moment later the floor completely gave way and they went tumbling into darkness.


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, here we finish up with the events of the first movie. I'm looking quite forward to moving on to the next as I have a ton of ideas, I just hope I can get them all in somehow and they work like they should.

Goblins. Wonderful.

They’d no sooner landed in an untidy heap after falling through the floor and sliding down a long tunnel than they were set upon by dozens of the filthy creatures who wasted no time in taking away everyone’s weapons and shoving everyone further into the tunnels. Bofur was just behind him...Bilbo, where was Bilbo? Nori looked around wildly for a moment and then he saw his son...to the rear of the Goblin mob. The Goblins had been so focused on subduing the others that Bilbo had completely escaped their notice.

Their eyes met and Nori could see the pain and indecision there; then Bilbo started to draw his glowing sword and Nori felt his heart sink to his boots. _No no, don’t Bilbo, run..._

Nori must have gotten the message across with his eyes because Bilbo stopped in mid-draw and then slowly slid the sword back into its scabbard. His eyes full of anguish, Bilbo mouthed two words: _love you_.

Then Nori was roughly shoved, making him turn towards his assailant and spit at him for a moment, and when he turned back Bilbo was nowhere in sight. Nori turned his gaze ahead again and prayed to whatever deity that might be listening for his son to be safe.

They were brought before an immense, hideous creature that appeared to be their ruler; after he had the Company thoroughly searched and no one would provide an answer as to what they were doing here the Goblin King ordered that they be tortured until they talked. “Start with the youngest,” he declared, pointing at Ori. Ori’s eyes went wide and terrified.

It was then that Thorin stepped forward. The Goblin King knew who Thorin was; he mocked Thorin about his lack of a kingdom and with great relish informed Thorin about the price on his head. The Pale Orc..Nori knew who the Goblin meant, every Dwarf in this company knew, had heard Balin tell the tale of that battle. Thorin did not want to believe that The Defiler was still alive, but the Goblin King was quite happy to inform Thorin that indeed, he was. He then ordered a message dispatched to inform Thorin’s old enemy that his prize awaited him.

The torture equipment was being brought in, and the wretched creature that called itself a King danced and sang about how they would suffer at his hands. The Goblins were going through the pile of the company’s weapons when one of them unsheathed Thorin’s sword and upon seeing it, screamed in horror and dropped it. The other Goblins saw it and began to scream as well. Apparently the sword was one that was well known to the Goblins, it had killed many of their kind and it sent the Goblins into a rage, whipping the company with ropes and clawing and biting at them. It seemed that the King had decided to forgo the torture; he ordered them all killed, and for Thorin to be beheaded. Thorin was brought to the ground face down and a Goblin drew a knife, ready to carry out the King’s order.

This was how it was going to end. They were going to die in this miserable place.

Then a blinding white light filled the chamber, and all sound ceased for a few moments as a shock wave shook everything, sending Goblins flying and the company crashing to the floor. Nori knelt on the ground and tried to clear his head as the wave stopped, turning to see what had caused it.

Gandalf.

The wizard shouted at them to take up their arms and fight, and they wasted no time in making a break for their weapons, still piled by the King’s throne. Nori tossed Bofur his mattock and Nori picked up his mace and they fought. Nori grunted as he was knocked down and it was only then that he saw the Goblin King bearing down on him, the vile creature wielding a huge mace of his own. Nori struggled to get to his feet in the surging crowd but he knew he’d never get out of the way in time.

Then Thorin was there, deflecting the Goblin King’s stroke, and the force of Thorin’s sword meeting the mace knocked the grotesque creature off his balance and sent him tumbling into the chasm below. Thorin helped Nori get up and Gandalf shouted for them to follow him. They did so, fighting the entire time, doing anything they could to try to slow down the Goblins in pursuit of them. Just when it looked like they might get away the giant Goblin appeared, blocking their way across the rope bridge they were standing on. “You thought you could escape me? What are you going to do now?” he taunted.

Gandalf’s response was to hit him in the eye with his staff, and when the Goblin King dropped his mace to clutch his eye Gandalf slit his belly, and when he fell to his knees Gandalf finished him off by slicing his throat. The great Goblin fell over dead and the weight caused the bridge to give way beneath them; everyone held on for dear life as the section of bridge they were on slid down the side of the ravine. When they reached the bottom the force of the landing made the remains of the bridge fall apart in a mass of wood and rope, burying the company underneath it. 

“Well,” Bofur’s voice came from somewhere to Nori’s right, and Nori couldn’t describe how happy he was to know that Bofur is all right, “that could have been worse.”

Of course this is when the Goblin King’s corpse landed on top of them.

Someone...Nori thinks it’s Dwalin...groans, “You’ve got to be joking!”

They all manage to dig themselves out of the rubble, scraped and bruised and a bit squashed, but everyone is alive. But it isn’t over yet; above them are thousands of Goblins, all making their way towards them, and Gandalf orders them to run out into the daylight where the Goblins cannot follow.

Once they are out Gandalf does a head count, as he is fond of doing, and demands to know where Bilbo is. 

“I saw him slip away when they first collared us,” Nori said.

Gandalf did not seem satisfied with this answer. “What happened exactly? Tell me!”

“I’ll tell you what happened,” Thorin said before Nori could give Gandalf an answer, “Master Baggins saw his chance and he took it! He’s thought of nothing but his soft bed and his warm hearth since he first stepped out of his door! We will not be seeing him again, he is long gone.”

Nori was about to stalk over to Thorin, get in his face, and tell him just how wrong he was about Bilbo, damn the consequences, when suddenly he heard his son’s voice.

“No, he isn’t.” Bilbo stepped out from behind a tree and Nori’s sharp eyes saw him slip something into his pocket as he did. Gandalf seemed to have noticed as well. Bilbo and Nori’s eyes met as Bilbo was barraged with questions on how he’d managed to get past the Goblins and Bilbo offered his father a small, warm smile.

“Well, what does it matter? He’s back!” Gandalf said.

“It matters,” Thorin insisted. He turned his gaze to Bilbo. “I want to know, why _did_ you come back?”

“Look, I know you doubt me,” Bilbo said, facing Thorin. “I know you always have. And you’re right, I often think of Bag End. I miss my books. And my armchair. And my garden. And until a very short time ago, I thought that that was where I belonged.” Bilbo cleared his throat. “But I know now that where I belong is _here_. I have Dwarven blood in my veins and I am _proud_ of that. I am proud to be able to think of myself as a part of your race...and I am extraordinarily proud to be able to say that I am Bilbo, son of Nori.” Bilbo looked over at Nori as he said that and Nori swallowed hard at the lump in his throat. 

Bilbo turned back to Thorin and said, “I will help you take your home back, or I will die trying.”

Thorin said nothing; he seemed to not know _what_ to say. The other Dwarves seemed to be in a similar state. Nori felt like his chest might explode with the amount of pride he felt right now. 

Howls split the air and everyone looked around in fear; they remembered that sound all too well.

“Out of the frying pan...” Thorin began

“...and into the fire,” Gandalf concluded. “Run! RUN!”

**

Night fell as they ran down the side of the mountain as fast as they could, the Wargs in pursuit. They found themselves on an outcropping with tall trees and nothing but sheer drop beyond it. There was nowhere else to go but up, so they began to climb the trees, Wargs snapping at their heels.

Soon there were dozens of Wargs surrounding the trees, circling, snarling, and occasionally jumping at them. Then they saw him. The Pale Orc, astride a white Warg, just as the Goblin King had described him.

“Azog?!” Thorin said in utter shock.

Nori couldn’t understand what the pale Orc was saying, but when he pointed towards them and shouted, and the Wargs began to try to climb up the trees, the message was clear enough. The tree began to topple under the weight and everyone scrambled to the next tree. It wasn’t long before the Wargs had knocked over that tree as well and everyone was forced into the single remaining tree...right on the edge of the cliff.

Gandalf lit a pinecone with his staff and handed it to Fili to throw, and the others quickly caught on, giving the wizard more pinecones until they were raining the flaming objects down on the wargs, making the creatures retreat in fear, and everyone cheered at this victory.

Then the tree they were in began to fall over.

Nori clung to the tree as it toppled over, barely managing to not be flung off as the tree came to a rest on its side, a great deal of it hanging over the edge of the cliff. Nori heard Ori scream and saw that his little brother had fallen and was now clinging to Dori’s leg; a moment later Dori slipped and both of Nori’s brothers would have fallen to their deaths if Gandalf hadn’t held out his staff for Dori to grab onto.

Nori felt a hand gripping his leg and looked behind him to see it was Bilbo; Nori reached down and took Bilbo’s hand, holding it tightly. Nori glanced back at where his brothers were to see that Dori and Ori were still dangling, unable to pull themselves back up onto the tree. How long could Dori hold on?

Nori heard several gasps around him, including from Bilbo, and when he turned he saw the reason. Thorin had risen to his feet and was walking down the trunk of the tree, sword and shield at the ready.

He was going to face Azog.

The white Warg lept at Thorin, and Thorin tried to swing his sword at the beast but to no avail; he was knocked to the ground by the huge creature. Thorin struggled to his feet but before he could fully recover himself Azog was charging at him, swinging his mace. The weapon struck Thorin and he hit the ground with a brutal impact.

Nori felt Bilbo’s hand slip from his and panicked, thinking that his son was falling; he looked behind him and saw that Bilbo had not fallen...he was _standing_. “Bilbo, what are you doing?” Nori shouted. 

The white Warg had taken Thorin into its mouth and bitten down, Thorin yelling in pain. Thorin managed to hit the Warg in the head, causing it to release him and tossing him onto a nearby rock. Thorin did not move and Nori could hear the anguished cries of Balin and Dwalin. 

Azog said something, and an Orc approached Thorin, drawing his sword.

Nori saw Bilbo draw his own sword, the blade glowing blue. “Bilbo, no, Bilbo, don’t...” Nori pleaded, trying to reach for his son. 

The Orc raised his sword in preparation to behead Thorin. Bilbo raised his own sword in the air and with a yell charged at the Orc. 

“Bilbo!” Nori shouted. Bilbo collided with the Orc just as the vile creature was bringing his sword down, knocking him to the ground. After a brief struggle Bilbo managed to stab the Orc and kill him. Bilbo stood in front of Thorin’s body, waving his sword around at Azog and the remaining attackers. 

_No, no, no,_ Nori thought frantically as they closed in on Bilbo. He tried to get to his feet but all he succeeded in doing was nearly sliding off the tree and plunging to his death before he got his grip again.

Then Dwalin, Fili, and Kili were running towards Bilbo and the Orcs surrounding him, weapons drawn and yelling. The fight was short-lived, however; Bilbo was knocked to the ground by Azog’s Warg and Fili, Kili, and Dwalin quickly found themselves surrounded. Nori watched helplessly as Azog approached Bilbo. _No, please, don’t take him from me..._ He heard Dori and Ori screaming and Nori turned his head just in time to see Dori’s hands slip from Gandalf’s staff and his siblings plummet into darkness.

Grief ripped Nori’s soul in half; his son was going to die, his brothers were dead. All of it was his fault. They were all here because of _him_. Self loathing flooded his being as tears flooded his eyes and he felt his will to live slip away. He started to loosen his grip on the tree...started to slide.

Then a familiar hand was grabbing him, and a familiar voice was in his ear. “Nori, don’t give up love, _please_ don’t give up.”

Even through his haze of tears he could see Bofur’s eyes clear as day, those beautiful eyes he thought he’d never get tired of looking into. Bofur gripped him tighter and said fiercely, “If you go I’m going with you.” 

A moment later something swooped down and swept them both away in its talons.

**

They were alive. Bilbo, his brothers. They were all alive.

One of the eagles had caught Dori and Ori on the way down; his brothers were on its back, holding on tightly. The Dwarves were shouting back and forth to one another, checking to see if everyone was all right. Nori had never been so relieved in his life as he was to hear Bilbo’s voice calling to him.

When they were finally set down Nori found himself enveloped in the arms of his son and brothers; he pressed his forehead to Bilbo’s and ran his hand through Bilbo’s mussed curls. “My brave son,” he said. “I’d tell you to never do that again but I think it’d do no good.”

Bilbo laughed softly and smiled at him. “You’re right about that. I’m a stubborn sort. Get that from my mother.”

Nori laughed too and gently made their foreheads bump against each other. “Aye.” They heard Gandalf calling Thorin’s name and Bilbo pulled from Nori’s embrace to follow the wizard as he ran over to Thorin’s prone body.

Bofur slid into Nori’s arms as Bilbo left them and gave him a kiss. “Thank you for not giving up on me,” Nori said.

“Well someone has to save you from yourself,” Bofur said with one of his beautiful smiles. “Guess I’m stuck with the job now.” Nori laughed and they shared another kiss as Kili and Dwalin helped a now-conscious Thorin to his feet. 

Thorin shrugged off the support and strode up to Bilbo. “You! What were you doing? You nearly got yourself killed! Did I not say that you would be a burden? That you would not survive in the wild and that you had no place amongst us?”

Nori should have been getting angry that once again Thorin was insulting Bilbo, but something in Thorin’s tone...

“I’ve never been so wrong in all my life!” And then Thorin was enveloping Bilbo in a tight embrace. Bilbo, who had been looking tense and worried just a moment before, relaxed into Thorin’s embrace and returned it. “I am sorry I doubted you.”

Everybody smiled and cheered, except Bofur, who was frowning slightly and looking contemplative. Nori would have to ask him about it later.

They could see Erebor from here, and as they all stood there looking at it Nori for the first time felt a true desire to reclaim it...not just to clear his record, but for his family, and for the Dwarf he was swiftly realizing he wanted to be his husband. 

“I do believe the worst is behind us,” Bilbo said from Thorin’s side.

Nori prayed that was the truth.


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that I haven't updated in so long, but there are things going on with my life that have not put me in the best frame of mind to write. I don't know when things will get better but I promise you I will not abandon this story! I appreciate your patience.

Nori stretched out on the bed, a wide grin on his face; maybe Bilbo really _had_ been right, the worst was really behind them. They were at the home of a giant of a man named Beorn, and they were safe and warm and full of food and they had beds.

Beds in private rooms. 

None of which would have been nearly as good if not for the fact that Nori and Bofur’s relatives had a change of perspective on the whole ‘you can’t be alone with each other’ thing. Apparently they’d realized there were worse things than letting two courting Dwarves shag each other when you’d just stared death right in the face.

Not that they’d gotten to shag yet; In the two days since they’d arrived here all most anyone had done was sleep and eat. But Bofur had been back to his cheery self this morning and with a wicked grin had promised Nori that today they were going to thoroughly enjoy each other. Nori had eagerly reached for his love but Bofur had slipped out of reach and told him to wait right there before leaving.

Nori folded his arms behind his head and closed his eyes, waiting for Bofur to return and trying not to get himself too worked up imagining the possibilities. His eyes flew open when he felt something cold press against his hand.

There was a huge woolly sheep staring at him...Bofur’s sheep, Nori assumed, since for some reason it was wearing Bofur’s hat. The creature had taken a liking to Bofur as soon as they’d arrived and followed him everywhere. The cold thing had been the sheep’s nose, which pushed into Nori’s hand once more before the sheep turned and started to leave the room.

Nori gathered he was supposed to follow so he did. As they went down the hallway Bilbo emerged from one of the other rooms and nearly ran into them. “Dad! Uh, hello,” he said, looking flustered. Nori raised an eyebrow as he took in his son’s disheveled appearance; he would have thought nothing of it, perhaps the lad had just woken from a nap, except for the fact that the room he’d just come out of _wasn’t his_. That, and Bilbo was turning red.

Nori couldn’t resist. “Enjoying your stay lad?”

“Oh yes, the food is wonderful, and I find Beorn quite pleasant once you get to know him. And the animals are so intelligent...” Bilbo babbled, wringing his hands nervously and glancing back at the closed door behind him.

The sheep bleated and yanked on Nori’s sleeve. “All right, keep your wool on,” Nori said to the sheep. He turned back to Bilbo and squeezed his shoulder. “I hope you keep enjoying it,” he said in a low voice. He gave his now tomato red son a wink before following the sheep.

The sheep led Nori to a room in a different hall and stopped in front of a closed door. “In there?” When the sheep bleated again Nori said, “Right then.” He snatched Bofur’s hat off the animal’s head and went inside.

The first thing he saw was a bench with a pile of clothing and a pair of boots sitting on it...Bofur’s. The second thing he saw was a doorless entryway into another room; Nori thought he could hear the faint movement of water within.

“You’d better be naked when you come in here,” Bofur’s voice called from the other room. 

Nori grinned and dropped Bofur’s hat on top of the stack of clothes before quickly removing his own clothing; he made sure the door was locked before going into the adjoining room. 

Bofur was sitting in a large round water pool lined with stone; it was obvious the pool was meant for someone much larger but the water was filled at the right height for a Dwarf to sit comfortably in it. Nori quickly slid into the warm water next to Bofur and embraced him, pulling him in for a kiss. “Mmm,” Bofur said against his mouth, “So I’m guessing you like this idea, then?”

“Any idea that involves you wet and naked is _amazing_ in my book,” Nori said, kissing down Bofur’s neck. Bofur tilted his head back and moaned as Nori bit a fresh mark onto his neck.

“Opal showed me it, thought you’d enjoy it,” Bofur sighed as Nori sucked on the mark he’d just left.

“Opal?” Nori asked, looking up at him.

“The sheep.”

“You named it Opal?”

Bofur shrugged. “Seemed like a good name.” He bit his lip (which Nori found terribly sexy) and asked hesitantly, “Can I...can I take your hair down?”

Nori swallowed hard and his heart beat faster. “If I can do the same to you.”

“Of course you can.” Nori began to untie Bofur’s braids and smooth them out with his fingers, until his hair hung in loose waves over his shoulders. Once it was done Nori turned his back to Bofur so the other Dwarf could get to the main braid at the back of his head.

Once that braid was undone the smaller braids came out with ease, first on his head, then his eyebrows, clips all neatly placed together at the edge of the pool. Bofur put his hand on Nori’s beard, looking at him in silent question. Nori nodded and Bofur went to work.

Bofur’s hands shook slightly as he took off the clasps holding each section of Nori’s beard and the now unbound braids fell to their full length. Bofur began to unweave the braids and once it was done he combed his fingers through the long auburn hair, tugging gently, occasionally scraping his nails lightly against Nori’s chin. They looked into each other’s eyes, both their breaths coming faster. “I’ve wanted to see you like this for so long,” Bofur said huskily.

“How long?”

“Since i first laid eyes on you,” Bofur said. One hand remained in Nori’s beard while the other raked through the hair on his head, lightly scratching his scalp. “I fantasized about it...and you’re even more beautiful than I imagined.” 

Nori’s heart was slamming against his ribcage as a memory came to the surface: Belladonna taking his hair down like this, running her tiny hands through it all, dark eyes looking into his. He remembered being confused by the look she was giving him...she’d seemed sad and he’d had no idea why. _My hairy beast,_ she had said, and her voice had caught as if she was about to cry. He remembered wanting nothing more than to make that pain go away so he had kissed her, and they had sex (made love, it had been making love, though at the time he’d been too stupid to realize he really did love her), and afterward she had clung to him and cried and would not talk to him about what was wrong. So he had let it be, thinking that they could discuss it in the morning.

But in the morning she’d been gone.

Of course now he knew what it had been all about. She’d known she was pregnant, and that she was going to leave him, _had_ to leave him, because Nori could not be the Father she needed for their child.

Bofur pressed his forehead to Nori’s and wiped the tears off Nori’s face. “It’s all right,” he whispered. Bofur didn’t ask what was wrong but really, he didn’t need to; there was only one reason Nori would be acting like this and Bofur knew it. 

“I’m sorry,” Nori said on a shaky breath. He honestly wasn’t sure who he was saying that to, Bofur or Belladonna. Maybe both.

Bofur merely kissed him tenderly. “If I’m pushing it too fast just tell me. I can wait as long as you need me to.”

“No, I want this...I want us, I want all of it. I love you. I need to tell you that, in case...” he didn’t finish his sentence as Bofur pulled him into a deep kiss.

When they came back up for air Bofur said, “I love you too.”

Nori let out a weak laugh. “You’re completely mad.”

“You’re not the first to tell me that, you know.” Bofur grinned against Nori’s mouth as they kissed again. The kisses deepened and before long both of them were panting. “I brought a blanket and some oil,” Bofur said, eyes dark with desire. “Thought you might be able to think of a use for them.”

Nori could indeed.

Watching Bofur writhe and moan as he impaled himself over and over on Nori’s oiled fingers was quite possibly the most erotic thing Nori had ever seen. Though Bofur face down on the blanket with his arse in the air like an animal in heat definitely didn’t hurt matters either. Nori pulled his fingers out and spread some of the oil over his cock. “Ready love?”

Bofur looked at him over his shoulder, his dark unbound hair falling over his eyes. “If you mean ready for you to peg me til I...” the words broke off into a curse as Nori entered him. 

“So yes then?” Nori let out a half laugh, half moan as Bofur bucked his hips hard back against him in response. Soon they had set a quick, hard pace, the room filled with the sounds of skin slapping against skin, their rough breathing, and their moans of pleasure. 

Bofur was quite vocal, as Nori had known he would be, and Nori found himself changing the angle of his thrusts now and then just to see what new sounds he could wring out of his love. He knew he’d hit that special spot when Bofur jerked as if being struck by lightning and threw his head back. “Aye, right there, right there, don’t stop,” Bofur babbled, his voice steadily rising in pitch as he clawed at the blanket.

Nori did stop though, and pulled out, letting out a breathless laugh at the whine Bofur made when he did. He flipped Bofur onto his back and moved between his legs. “Want to see your face when you come for me,” Nori said before pushing back in. He took hold of Bofur’s hips and lifted them up and within a few thrusts had found that magic spot again. Soon Bofur was writhing and begging and cursing, clawing now at Nori’s chest instead of the blankets. “That’s it love, come on.” Nori took hold of Bofur’s cock and gave it a few quick tugs and Bofur came, white stripes of his release painting the dense dark hair on his stomach and chest. Nori was moments behind him, pressing deep as he released himself inside of his lover.

Bofur pulled weakly at Nori’s shoulders to bring their faces closer together and let out a low hiss when Nori pulled out of him. “I...oh hell, you buggered the brains right out of me,” Bofur managed.

Nori ran his fingers through Bofur’s sweaty hair, pushing it out of his face before kissing him tenderly. “Was good then?”

Bofur snorted and slapped Nori weakly on the arse. “You know very well it was. Well, that’s it, you’re stuck with me. No one’s ever going to be able to give it to me better.”

“I can try to top that in a bit if you’re agreeable to it,” Nori said, playing with Bofur’s moustache.

Bofur was indeed agreeable to it, and after another round they got back into the water and washed each other’s bodies and hair. Once they finished they sat on the edge of the pool and Nori practically purred as Bofur began to brush his beard out. “Watch it or we’re going for round three,” Nori said when Bofur paused in the brushing to tug the long beard a bit and scratch at his chin.

“Oi, I’m going to be limping as it is. Everyone’s going to know what we’ve been up to.”

“Good,” Nori growled. “I want everyone to know I’ve claimed you.”

“Possessive aren’t we,” Bofur tsked, but Nori could see the way Bofur’s pupils dilated when he said it.

“You like it,” Nori stated, playfully tugging at Bofur’s earring.

“More than’s probably good for me,” Bofur acknowledged. 

“I’d never do anything you didn’t want.”

“I know that.” Bofur scratched Nori’s chin again and laughed when Nori growled once more. “Do I strike you as someone who’s afraid to speak their mind?”

“Definitely not.” 

“No worries then, eh?” Bofur finished brushing and began to braid Nori’s beard. 

“So,” Nori said as he started to braid Bofur’s hair, “You want to get married then?”

“That’s usually why one courts someone.”

“Cheeky. I meant soon.”

“How soon did you have in mind?” Bofur asked, resting his forehead against Nori’s.

“As soon as possible? Unless you aren’t ready...”

Bofur laughed. “Oh you’re not getting away that easy. Told you, you’re stuck with me.”

Nori laughed too. “I don’t know how my life ended up like this. I have a son, and I’m going to have a husband. Not at all what I thought would be happening when I agreed to come on this insane quest.”

“Aye, wasn’t what I thought was going to happen either. Then I saw this gorgeous Dwarf with shifty eyes and a cocky smile and lost my heart.”

“My eyes are not shifty!”

“Wasn’t counting that as a negative, love. You watch everything, I like that. Means I know that you’ll always look out for me.” Bofur looked into his eyes. “And I’ll do the same for you and Bilbo.”

Nori kissed Bofur and held him tightly; he never thought he could be so happy. Their journey ahead was still a long one, and dangerous, but right now it all seemed far away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I can't help but think that Belladonna would have really liked Bofur. I think she would have approved.
> 
> I still don't know who I'm pairing Bilbo with yet...the choices are somewhat limited as he's related to (or about to be by marriage) half the Company. It definitely will not be Thorin, though.


	10. Chapter 10

After Bofur and Nori finished braiding each other and with great reluctance got dressed, they decided they would tell Bilbo about their intent to marry before anyone else. Nori could just imagine Bilbo’s expression; he would be so happy. Opal was waiting for them and at Bofur’s request the sheep began to lead them to Nori’s son.

Nori told Bofur about catching Bilbo coming out of someone’s room earlier looking like he’d just had a good tumble and his future husband’s reaction was unexpected.

“What? Who?” Bofur asked. There was no smile, or merriment in his voice; he looked and sounded concerned.

Nori shrugged, looking at Bofur a bit strangely. “Don’t know, didn’t pry. He’s a grownup, who he shags is his own business.”

“You don’t think it was Thorin, do you?”

“Would that be awful?”

“I just wouldn’t want Bilbo to get hurt is all,” Bofur muttered. “Bilbo’s a gentle type and Thorin, well, he’s not easy on one’s feelings.”

“And how would you know that?” Nori had always wondered how Bofur and his relatives had ended up on this journey; everyone else was from the line of Durin but the Urs came from peasant stock. He’d noticed that there seemed to be a certain familiarity between Thorin and Bofur but he hadn’t been able to pinpoint the source of it. Nori tilted his head and gazed at Bofur. “You and Thorin...” he said slowly. The look on Bofur’s face told him everything.

“It was a long time ago,” was all Bofur said.

Nori was very curious but wasn’t about to push Bofur to talk about it. “All right.” he pushed Bofur’s hat up a bit so they could press their foreheads together. “I think Bilbo can handle himself. And the odds are it isn’t Thorin, I can’t imagine Bilbo would just hop into bed with him after the way Thorin treated him.” Truth be told Nori didn’t know for sure, but thought it would make Bofur feel better.

It did the trick; Bofur rubbed his nose against Nori’s and said, “You’re right.” They kissed before continuing to follow Opal. 

The sheep led them outside into the lush gardens. “Of course he’d be here, he’s probably been missing his garden back home,” Nori said, waving away a gigantic bee that circled around his head. 

“The one my cousin ate, you mean?” Bofur asked, and they were both too busy laughing to notice the sounds coming from ahead of them. Because if they _had_ noticed they would have stopped immediately and decided to give Bilbo the good news at a later time, but as it was they weren’t paying attention and when they entered a small clearing they were greeted with a sight that a father (or future second father) would not want to typically see.

Said sight being your son shirtless and flushed, his head thrown back and a huge bald Dwarf with his face in your son’s crotch area, the movements of his head leaving no doubt to what exactly he was doing.

Nori had meant to have he and Bofur back out quietly, he really had. But the shock of seeing Bilbo in that state with _Dwalin_ of all people made a sound come out of his throat and Dwalin began to slowly lift his head. Nori quickly turned away, not wanting to see his son’s bits in a state of arousal. Bofur had turned away as well and put his hat down over his eyes for good measure.

“Dad?” Bilbo’s voice came, sounding high and strained, and Nori winced in sympathy; it was never fun getting interrupted at a time like that.

“Uh, sorry lad, didn’t know you’d be...” Bofur said, waving his hand. “...in the middle of something. If you want to finish up and find us later...”

“Think the mood’s been killed,” Dwalin grumbled.

Nori pressed his fists into his eyes. He didn’t want to picture Dwalin in the mood. Especially with his son. “You could have warned us,” Nori muttered at Opal. The sheep just looked up at him with what Nori was certain was feigned innocence.

“We’re decent,” Bilbo’s voice came, sounding more composed. “Um, did you want something?”

Nori and Bofur turned around, Bofur lifting his hat from his eyes cautiously. Dwalin and Bilbo were both fully dressed now but the frustration of delayed satisfaction was evident on both of them. Particularly Bilbo, who was flushed and taking slow, deep breaths. Nori feared he might faint like he had back in Bag End.

Maybe this wasn’t exactly the right time...

“We’re getting married!” Bofur burst out joyously

It seemed to take Bilbo a moment to process what was said...probably because most of the blood was still in his nethers rather than his head at the moment...but when it sunk in he broke into a wide grin and threw himself into his Father’s arms. Bofur joined them, laughing and squeezing both of them tightly.

“Congratulations,” Dwalin rumbled. 

“Who’s going to marry you?” Bilbo asked.

“Uh, haven’t figured that part out yet,” Nori said. “I suppose Balin could...”

“Thorin will do it,” Dwalin said. “He’d be happy to.”

Nori couldn’t help but notice that Dwalin looked directly at Bofur when he said that.

“Well, that’s settled then!” Bilbo smiled. “Have you told the others yet?”

“Wanted you to know first,” Nori said, pressing his forehead to Bilbo’s before looking over at Dwalin. “But first I need a few moments with _him_.”

“Dad,” Bilbo said nervously.

“Don’t worry lad, they’re just going to talk,” Bofur said, casting Nori a glance that clearly said he wasn’t certain that was the case.

Dwalin and Nori found a quiet spot away from Bofur and Bilbo and when they did Nori turned on Dwalin and got in his face, his eyes hard. “If you need to pay me back for what I’ve done to you in the past, you do it to me, and me only. Beat me to jelly if you want but do _not_ break my son’s heart!” Nori hissed.

“You honestly think I would do that?” Dwalin raised his scarred brow and crossed his arms in front of his chest. “The thought that I might actually care for him never crossed your mind?”

“What could someone like you possibly see in him?”

“What did you see in his mother?”

For a moment Nori wanted to put his fist through Dwalin’s face...but then he thought about her, how she had made him feel like a better person, had brought him an inner peace he’d never had before...Dwalin seemed to read his mind and nodded, slowly and solemnly.

“You understand then,” Dwalin stated. 

Nori backed off, but only a little. “Do you love him?”

“He hasn’t spoken those words, and neither have I,” Dwalin said. “But I intend to stay by his side as long as he’ll have me.”

Nori pointed at Dwalin. “I want to hear one thing from you. That you will never, ever hurt my son. Because if you do...I’ll have your bollocks. I will remove them slowly, with dull and rusty implements.”

“I’ve no intention of hurting him,” Dwalin said.

Nori leaned into Dwalin’s face and said in his most menacing tone, “You had better not.” He turned his back on the larger Dwarf and went to collect his future husband and son so they could tell their families about the wedding. Nori could already predict what Dori was going to say.

**

“It’s too soon!” Dori scolded. “You haven’t been courting long and we don’t even have a dowry negotiated yet!”

“Dowry? As if either of us have anything,” Nori said.

“We will once we reclaim Erebor!”

“But you all have an equal share, right? So what does it matter?” Bilbo asked. 

“It doesn’t,” Nori said.

“There are traditions to be followed...” Dori began.

Next to Nori, Bilbo sniffed loudly, drawing everyone’s attention. Bilbo was frowning and his lip was quivering.

“Ho there lad, what’s wrong?” Bofur asked with concern.

“I just...” Bilbo sniffled and rubbed his eyes, “I just want you two to get married...I haven’t had parents in so long and to have two parents again would mean so much to me...” Bilbo let out a small sob and Bofur hugged him tightly, stroking his hair.

Next to Dori, Ori began to sniffle as well. Dori looked at his baby brother and Ori gave him his best set of sad eyes.

Dori sighed like he always did when he was about to give in. “All right, all right. You have my blessing.” 

Nori looked out of the corner of his eye at Bilbo, who was peeking around Bofur’s shoulder. Bilbo gave Nori a wink and Nori felt his heart swell with pride. _Good job, lad._ When Dori turned away Nori received a sly grin from his little brother. _Sorry Dori, Ori’s way more like me than you,_ Nori thought smugly.

Bofur’s family was easier to convince; Bifur gave Nori an impressively brutal shovel talk that made Ori go wide-eyed and back away to hide behind Dori. Since Bilbo couldn’t understand Khuzdul (something Nori intended to remedy as soon as possible), Bofur whispered in his ear a translation and Bilbo looked extremely nervous as a result.

“He wouldn’t really put his spear up Dad’s...” 

“Course not,” Bofur said, not sounding entirely convinced of the fact.

While their families discussed what kind of celebration they could put together with the limited resources at Beorn’s home, Nori took Bofur aside and said, “If you don’t want Thorin to perform the ceremony we can ask Balin. Or we can wait.”

Bofur shook his head emphatically. “No, it’s all right.”

“I just don’t want you to be tense at our wedding.” When Bofur looked down Nori took Bofur’s face in his hands and said, “I am never going to leave you...you know that, don’t you?”

Bofur looked up at him and nodded. “I know that. I do.”

“I love you.” Nori kissed Bofur and pulled him close. “I love you, I love you.” By the third ‘I love you’ Bofur was grinning like his old self again.

“And I love you,” Bofur said. “Don’t worry about me, I’ll just keep my eyes on you and forget everything around me,” Bofur said, gazing into Nori’s eyes. 

Keeping his eyes on Bofur seemed to make Nori forget everything around _him_ as well, because he didn’t notice Thorin had entered the room until their future King had cleared his throat. “Thorin,” Nori greeted him, keeping an arm around Bofur’s waist.

“Nori. Bofur,” Thorin’s gaze settled on Bofur for a long moment before turning back to Nori. “Dwalin has informed me that I have a ceremony to perform?”

“Well, if our families ever stop arguing about what we’re eating at the reception,” Nori said, turning his gaze to where Dori and Bombur were arguing loudly.

“It’s indecent to have a wedding without a meat dish!” Bombur argued.

“Fine, you go ask our host which of his animal friends we can slaughter then,” Dori shot back.

Opal let out a distinctly terrified-sounding bleat and hid behind Bofur.

“Now now lass, no need to worry,” Bofur said, patting the sheep. “Bom, let off. We can have rocks for all I care. The meal is not the important part of this whole thing after all.”

“I just wish you had nicer clothes to wear,” Dori fretted.

“I’ll get married bloody naked if I want,” Nori retorted. Bilbo went wide-eyed and turned red, clearing his throat.

Thorin’s mouth quirked up into a small smile. “Bombur, I’m sure you can think of something to make with what we have available. I’ve never known you to lack creativity in that department. And Dori, I am more than willing to perform a reaffirmation of their vows once we reclaim our home. I assure you it would be a lavish affair with the finest clothes we can find. And the best food,” he added, looking at Bombur.

“Thank you Thorin,” Bofur said softly.

Thorin looked back to Bofur. “It’s the least I could do.” he cleared his throat again. “Today then?” When the couple nodded their agreement Thorin inclined his head. “Very well; I will inform the others, and our host.” he gave Bofur one last glance before leaving.

“You all right?” Nori asked Bofur.

Bofur nodded. “Yeah.” He put his arms around Nori and looked up at him. “Look, me and Thorin...it was before Smaug came. We were so young...I made him laugh and he made me feel important; I mean, how often does a miner end up with a Prince?” Bofur chuckled softly. “Then the dragon happened, and he lost his grandfather, and his father disappeared, and suddenly all the weight was on him. He felt he had to concentrate on keeping his people alive and, well, I was a distraction.” Bofur sighed. “It hurt...I understand why he felt like he had to do it, but it still hurt. You’d think I’d be over it by now, wouldn’t you?”

Nori thought it was pretty obvious that Thorin wasn’t over it either, but didn’t say that out loud. “I don’t think there’s really a rule for how long it takes to get over these things.”

“I don’t want you to think I’m only with you because I can’t have Thorin.”

“I don’t think that.” Nori honestly didn’t.

“He could get on his knees right now and beg me to come back to him and I’d say ‘sorry, I’m quite in love with this scoundrel here’,” Bofur said, pressing his forehead to Nori’s. 

“I think he knows that. And that he wants you to be happy.”

“I _am_ happy,” Bofur said, gently rocking to and fro with Nori, foreheads still connected. “I can’t imagine being any happier. Well, except for when I’ll be able to officially call you my husband.”

Nori looked down; he never thought he’d have _anybody_ in his life actually proud to be associated with him. Now he had a son and soon a husband. He couldn’t think of a damn right thing he’d done in his life to deserve any of it.

“Stop it,” Bofur said sternly.

It was eerie how well Bofur could read him.

Nori made a sound of protest when Bofur was suddenly pulled out of his arms by Bombur. “You can canoodle all you want after the wedding, we have preparations to make.” Bofur managed to yank Nori in for one more kiss before Bifur and Bombur herded him off.

Bilbo came to stand next to Nori. “You think your Mother would approve?” Nori asked his son. “You think she would have liked him?”

Bilbo smiled. “I think she would have _loved_ him.”

Nori thought so too.

**

Nori is certain he’s going to vomit. Maybe he should just get it over with now so he doesn’t do it during the ceremony. Which was happening in just a few moments. The knots in his stomach tightened even more and he suddenly felt dizzy.

“Dad, are you all right?”

Nori took a few deep breaths and nodded. “Fine, lad. Never been better.”

“You’re very pale.”

Things suddenly went dark.

Nori slowly opened his eyes and realized he was staring at the ceiling. Bilbo was kneeling next to him, looking concerned. “He’s awake,” Bilbo said over his shoulder.

“About time,” Dori said. “I sent Ori to assure Bofur that you’re not standing him up.”

“And here I thought my fainting spells were my Hobbit half,” Bilbo said with a mischievous grin.

Nori playfully cuffed Bilbo upside the head, making his son laugh. “Help your old man up.” He took Bilbo’s offered hand and got to his feet.

“Now you’ve messed up your hair,” Dori fretted, grabbing a brush and approaching him.

“Dori, if you come near me with that brush again I’ll shove it up your...”

“Well!” Bilbo broke in cheerfully. “You seem to be feeling better, let’s get you married, shall we?”

Nori felt his stomach knot up again.

All his discomfort disappeared instantly when he saw Bofur standing there; they were both still dressed as they were before, having nothing else to put on, but somehow Bofur looked the most handsome Nori had ever seen him. He took Bofur’s hand and they gazed into each other’s eyes as Thorin began the ceremony.

Nori had vague memories of repeating vows, and of having their hands bound together by Thorin to seal their marital bond. What he remembered clearly was pulling Bofur into his arms and kissing him so long and thoroughly that Dori eventually pulled them apart, muttering about throwing cold water on them.

Then, it was time to celebrate.

Dwarves never celebrated anything halfway, and while Beorn’s home didn’t have everything they needed they made full use of what they had. Bombur had indeed gotten creative with the food and Beorn had brought out a couple kegs of mead, which the Company wasted no time in emptying. 

Nori and Bofur were very pleasantly sloshed, Bofur lounging across Nori’s lap, his hat perched precariously on the center peak of Nori’s hair. “I love you,” Bofur said, throwing his arms around Nori’s neck and snuggling in tighter.

“Love you too,” Nori said.

“I love you soooo much,” Bofur said, nuzzling Nori’s cheek. “I want to have your babies.”

Nori snorted laughter. “Unless I missed something the times I had you arse up, I’m pretty sure you don’t have the parts.”

“We can adopt then! Bilbo would like a little brother or sister, don’t you think?” Bofur planted noisy kisses along Nori’s neck. 

Bilbo probably _would_ like that. Still, who would give a child to someone with a past like Nori’s? Speaking of Bilbo, he hadn’t seen him in awhile. He looked around and saw that his son was in a very similar position to Bofur’s, on Dwalin’s lap. Kili was sitting next to them and appeared to be teasing Dwalin, who casually slapped the lad hard enough to make the young Dwarf fall over onto the floor, to the laughter of those around him. Dwalin looked down at Bilbo with a tenderness in his eyes Nori never would have imagined him capable of.

Thorin suddenly dropped into the chair right next to Nori. “You...” Thorin said, pointing a finger at Nori, _”You”_.

Thorin was very, very drunk. Nori waited patiently while Thorin got his addled mind to form more words.

“You,” Thorin said, jabbing his finger into Nori’s shoulder, “You better treat him right. Because he’s the most beautiful Dwarf I’ve ever known and if you don’t...” Thorin blinked a few times as he searched for words again. “I’ll do something. Anything. Because I’m a King and I can.”

“Understood,” Nori said, kissing Bofur’s forehead, partially because he could never get enough of kissing Bofur and partially to hide his amusement. 

“And you,” Thorin said, his voice lowering as he put a hand on Bofur’s shoulder, “Are you happy? Because I want you to be happy.”

“Happier than I’ve ever been,” Bofur proclaimed, giving Nori’s beard a tug before kissing him.

“Good. Because I know I made you unhappy and you didn’t deserve that.” Thorin frowned. “You didn’t deserve that at all. But I had to. I didn’t want to but I had to.” He leaned close to Bofur and touched their foreheads together. “I am sorry. You will never know how much.”

“Thank you Thorin,” Bofur said softly.

Balin appeared behind Thorin. “Come on lad,” he said, tugging Thorin away from Bofur. “Let them be.” The older Dwarf shot the newlyweds an apologetic look as he led Thorin away.

“You all right?” Nori asked Bofur.

“I’m fine...better than fine.” Bofur looked at Nori. “I guess that’s what I’ve been needing all this time...for him to just say he was sorry.” 

Nori smiled and pulled his new husband as tightly against him as he could. “Good.” He took Bofur’s hat off his own head and put it back on Bofur’s. “I don’t know about you but I’m sobering up.”

“Can’t have that,” Bofur said, sounding scandalized.

“My thoughts exactly.” Nori stole another kiss, setting Bofur in the chair before going to get more mead.

Nori was impressed with himself that he managed to drag both himself and Bofur back to their room later; almost everyone else ended up collapsed on various surfaces around Beorn’s home. Bofur hummed happily as Nori dropped him on the bed and started stripping him.

“Make love to me,” Bofur crooned.

“Not when you’re four sheets to the wind, love,” Nori said, tugging off Bofur’s boots before taking his pants off.

“But I want youuuu,” Bofur whined.

Nori leaned over his husband and kissed him tenderly. “When you sober up we can discuss if you’re really all right with me having at you when you’re like this...until then, you get lots of naked snuggling, isn’t that lovely?” Nori got up and started to remove his own clothes.

“Anything involving you naked is lovely,” Bofur agreed. 

“I’m glad you think so.” Nori finished undressing and stretched out facing Bofur. “My husband,” he said, fingers untangling Bofur’s braids. “My lovely, lovely husband.”

Bofur tried to undo Nori’s braids but his hands were too clumsy from drink so Nori did it for him; Nori leaned over Bofur, letting his hair cascade over his shoulders, brushing Bofur’s chest, and Bofur made a sound almost like a purr as he petted the auburn strands.

“Love you,” Bofur said.

“Love you too,” Nori said. Bofur pulled Nori to his chest and Nori fell asleep listening to his new husband's heartbeat.


	11. Chapter 11

Nori collapsed onto Bofur, breathing harshly into the back of his husband’s neck. “Good morning,” he laughed, kissing the bite mark he’d left on Bofur’s shoulder. He rolled them onto their sides and they kissed languidly, enjoying the post-sex afterglow as the morning sun shone through the small window of their room.

Bofur grinned against Nori’s mouth. “Morning. And a grand start to it, I’d say.” Bofur stretched like a cat and said, “So, we’ve had our first ever bout of married sex. Gloin said last night that sex is even better after marriage, what do you think?”

Nori chuckled. “It’s only the third time we’ve had sex ever, and I happen to think they were all amazing.”

“Oh aye, no arguments there. Great hangover remedy too.” Bofur grinned and waggled his eyebrows, earning him another kiss. “Mmm...oh hell I don’t want to go on this quest anymore.”

“Me neither,” Nori sighed. “Nothing for it though. Gotta see this through.” Nori wanted nothing more than to take his family...his brothers, his husband, his son...and take them as far away from the danger they were facing as possible. But he knew that couldn’t happen. He tried to focus on the future they’d have if they succeeded. Never going hungry again, never needing to steal or lie again. “We pull this off we’ll have a nice warm home in the heart of Erebor, if Thorin keeps his word on all that.”

“He will,” Bofur said with utter certainty, and Nori supposed that Bofur would know. “Going to be an adjustment though. Before Smaug came I lived outside the mountain, that’s where all the commoners lived. Bit afraid I’ll feel walled in. Sounds silly coming from a miner, I know, but I always looked forward to getting out of that tight space into the open air.”

“We could live outside if you wanted, I’ve spent so many years out in the wilderness that I might find living inside a mountain stifling as well. We’ll have plenty of money to build a home,” Nori said, playing with Bofur’s moustache. “We don’t even have to stay near the mountain if you want, we could go anywhere.”

“But you’ll want to stay close to Bilbo, and I reckon he’ll be staying with Dwalin. And Dwalin goes where Thorin goes, so...” Bofur shrugged. “I wonder though if Bilbo would be happy living in Erebor. The Shire’s so different and he already misses it so much.”

“I’ve thought about that too,” Nori said. “I’m sure he’d want to go back and get his things at least. He has a bunch of Uncles and Aunts and cousins, he’d probably want to visit with them.” Nori went silent for a long moment before saying, “I’d like to go back with him, visit where Belladonna’s buried.” Bofur pulled Nori close and Nori gladly pressed his face into his husband’s neck. “I feel like I need to say some things to her.”

“I imagine you do.” Bofur twirled a lock of Nori’s hair around his finger. 

“I just wish I’d had the chance to say them to her while she was alive. And Bilbo...even if Bilbo was better off being raised by that Bungo fellow, I would have liked to have gotten to see my son grow up a little at least. I could have just pretended to be a friend of hers, I wouldn’t have told him the truth if she didn’t want me to.” Nori sighed. “You know that Hobbits only live to be about a hundred?”

Bofur looked at him and frowned. “Really?”

“Sometimes longer but it’s rare.”

“And Bilbo’s...he said he was fifty, wasn’t he? Or about that.”

“Half of his life I’ve missed.”

“You don’t know that,” Bofur said. “He’s half Dwarf, after all. He may have longer.”

“He’s aged just like a Hobbit so far.” Nori nuzzled Bofur’s patch of beard. “I don’t want to think about it but I can’t stop myself. I can never get that back the years I’ve lost.”

“Ah,” Bofur said, “I get it.” When Nori looked up at him with a raised brow Bofur said, “It’s not so much that it’s Dwalin he’s with, is it? It’s that you don’t have his undivided attention anymore.”

“When you say it like that I sound like some spoiled child who doesn’t want to share a toy,” Nori muttered.

“No love, you sound like someone who’s got a lot of catching up to do and not a lot of time to do it. And now you’ve got this big old mountain of Dwarf blocking the way.” 

Nori snorted and looked embarrassed. “When I first found out who Bilbo was I was in such a state of shock...but then I started thinking, ‘my son. This is _my son_ ’, and it was...I can’t describe the feeling.” Nori propped himself up on his elbow and looked down at Bofur. “I felt like he was the greatest thing I’d ever accomplished in my life. Sounds dumb I know, any idiot can stick his prick in a woman and make a kid...”

“Maybe,” Bofur said, looking up at his husband, “But it takes a special person to be a real father to that kid. You stepped up, when you didn’t have to. That’s a real measure of character right there. How many times do I have to tell you that you’re so much better than you give yourself credit for?”

“At least once more,” Nori said, gazing into Bofur’s eyes. “But if you care to tell me every day for the rest of my life I wouldn’t object.”

Bofur put his hand on the back of Nori’s neck and pulled him down for a slow, sweet kiss; when they broke it they pressed their foreheads together and rubbed noses, smiling. 

“Did you mean what you said last night? About wanting children?” Nori asked.

“Aye, definitely. Didn’t think you’d be adverse.”

Nori shook his head. “Not at all. I’d love a chance to start over and do it right. Though I don’t know much about kids, except what I learned from being around Ori when he was little.”

“I’ve got ten nieces and nephews and I’m still not an expert. Guess we’ll learn together.” Bofur suddenly chuckled and when Nori raised an eyebrow in silent question Bofur said, “You’re stroking my belly.” Bofur laughed loudly and broke into a grin when Nori took his hand away, looking embarrassed. “I’d carry your babies if I could love, but as we’ve already established, I’ve not got the bits for it.”

“I’m quite fond of the bits you _do_ have though,” Nori purred, moving over Bofur and rubbing against him.

“Rather like yours too.” Nori made a sound of surprise as Bofur flipped them over so he was on top. “And I get ‘em for the rest of my life,” he said as he began to grind his rear against Nori’s rapidly hardening cock. “I am a lucky, lucky fellow.”

“I’m the lucky one.” Nori wrapped his hand around his husband’s own rising shaft and stroked, loving the way Bofur moaned and thrust into his hand. “You are beautiful,” Nori said, his breath coming faster as the head of his now fully hard cock nudged against Bofur’s opening, still invitingly slick and open from their earlier lovemaking.

Bofur shifted and took Nori in his hand. “You’re quite the sight yourself.” Bofur sank down onto Nori’s cock and moaned, a pleased smile spreading over his face. “Oh, hello there lovely.”

Nori went to take hold of Bofur’s hips but Bofur stopped him and guided his hands to grip the headboard instead. “You keep those right there,” Bofur said, “And let me do all the work.”

Nori could not be held responsible for the noises that followed...all his husband’s fault, entirely. The loud creaking of the bed, the sound of the headboard banging against the wall, and Nori’s near screams of pleasure as Bofur rode him into oblivion...yes, Bofur’s fault for being so utterly amazing.

**

The honeymoon, unfortunately, was short lived; after another day it was time to get back on the road again. Nori stood with Bilbo and Dwalin while he watched Bofur say farewell to Opal.

“I’ll miss you lass,” Bofur said, hugging the sheep around her neck. Opal bleated sadly and nibbled on one of the flaps of Bofur’s hat. “We’ll come back and see you.” He patted her on the head one last time and rejoined the group.

“Was starting to think you were leaving me for her,” Nori said, putting an arm around his husband’s shoulders as the group began to walk towards the ponies Beorn had given them.

Bofur twined his fingers through Nori’s and said, “Only got eyes for you.”

Life was good. Better than Nori ever thought it could be.

And then they got to Mirkwood.

It wasn’t too bad, at first...a bit unsettling, but Nori had spent enough nights alone in the wilderness to not be spooked by every sound that came from the forest. Bofur was another matter however and Nori gladly kept his husband close, loving to make him feel safe and protected. 

It seemed like a fog was slowly settling over Nori’s mind; his thinking was becoming less and less clear and a few moments ago he could have sworn he’d seen Bilbo walking behind them when in reality his son was a few steps in front of him by Dwalin.

Or was he? Nori squeezed his eyes shut for a moment to try to regain his senses; when he opened them he found himself alone.

“Bofur?” He called. “Bilbo?” Panic gripped his chest as he looked wildly around, seeing only gloomy forest. His heart pounded loudly in his ears and he ran blindly through the woods, shouting his husband and son’s names. He suddenly ran into a tree...he swore it hadn’t been there a moment ago...and he lay on the ground, head spinning and pain thudding in his temples.

“Well, look at this,” a voice he hadn’t heard in over fifty years said. “Aren’t you a pathetic sight.”

Nori blinked his eyes several times to clear his vision. “Bells?”

Belladonna Took stood over him, looking just as she had the last time he had seen her. “Where’s our son, Nori?”

“I...I don’t know,” Nori said, struggling to sit up. He put a hand to his head, trying to collect his thoughts. “He was right in front of me...or, behind me, maybe...”

“You don’t know?” Belladonna’s voice filled with disdain. “Just like you. Irresponsible. Only caring about yourself.”

“No, no.” Nori got to his knees. “I care. I cared about _you_. I loved you.”

Belladonna’s mocking laugh was like a knife through his heart. “You _loved_ me? Is that why you never tried to find me after I left? Why you talked about me in the years after as if I was just something that warmed your cock for awhile?”

“I didn’t mean it. I was so upset when you left me...so angry...” Tears began to stream down Nori’s face. “You were everything to me. I was too stupid to tell you...”

“Everything, was I? How long did it take you to bring someone else into your bed?”

Waves of horrible guilt washed through Nori, thinking about the tall lass he’d slipped some coin to and fucked in the back room of a bar not three days after he’d woken up to find Belladonna gone, drunk and depressed and needing to feel desired, even if it was only for a few fleeting minutes. As soon as he’d finished he’d stumbled out of the room and into the alleyway and promptly vomited, feeling more dirty and ashamed than he ever had in his life. “I’m sorry.” He pressed his face into Belladonna’s skirts. “I’m sorry,” he sobbed, caressing the furry tops of her feet, like he had many times as they lay in bed together.

“You’re sorry, all right. Sorriest thing I ever did see.” She kicked him away from her and he lay sprawled on the ground, still sobbing. “I never should have told Bilbo the truth. Now look what’s happened to him. He’s probably dead, and it’s all your fault!”  
“Dad?” A voice that seemed vaguely familiar echoed through Nori’s mind.

“And that lovely Dwarf you somehow conned into marrying you. Into thinking you were a _good person _,” Belladonna spat those last words. “He’s probably dead too. Even if he isn’t, you’ll no doubt ruin him. Just like everyone else you touch.”__

__Nori curled into a ball, his body wracked with sobs, his chest burning as he struggled to draw breath._ _

__“DAD!!!!”_ _

__Nori felt small hands on him and he reached for them, clasping them between his own. “Please forgive me, please forgive me,” he sobbed, kissing them feverishly._ _

__“Dad it’s me, it’s Bilbo.”_ _

__Through eyes blurred with tears, Nori could make out his son’s copper curls and he reached for them, pulling his son to his shoulder and holding him as close he could._ _

__“It’s all right Dad, it’s all right, I’m here.” His son’s arms wrapped around him as best they could and squeezed with all his might._ _

__“I tried to tell her I was sorry,” Nori choked out as he raked his fingers through his son’s hair. “She wouldn’t forgive me.”_ _

__“Who? Mother?” When Nori nodded and sniffled Bilbo said, “Dad, that wasn’t her. It was the forest, it wasn’t real.” Bilbo pulled back and wiped Nori’s eyes with a handkerchief. “She forgave you. If she was ever angry with you in the first place, and I don’t believe she ever was, she forgave you.” Bilbo kissed Nori’s forehead and said, “Come on, I’m going to take you back to the others.”_ _

__Nori let his son help him to his feet and lead him back onto the path, where the others were gathered, some sitting, some stumbling about and mumbling. Nori saw Bofur sitting propped up against a rock and practically dragged Bilbo as Nori stumbled in his husband’s direction._ _

__“There we are, you sit here with him,” Bilbo said, letting go of Nori as he dropped himself across Bofur’s lap, “And I’m going to climb up this tree and see if I can find us a way out.” Bilbo raised his voice. “Stay here, all of you. I’ll just be a minute. Don’t. Go. Anywhere.”_ _

__Nori put his head onto Bofur’s shoulder. “I don’t want to ruin you,” Nori whispered into his ear._ _

__Twang. Twang. Twang._ _

__Nori looked up and saw that Ori was standing near a spider web and absently plucking at it; Nori was just about to tell him to cut it out when he felt something yank him out of Bofur’s arms and lift him upward. Before Nori could struggle much he felt a sharp pain in his shoulder and an odd warmth spread through him, and his limbs went to jelly. The last thing he saw was a row of beady eyes before he was entombed in tight, sticky whiteness._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry this chapter isn't longer..the last couple months have been rough on me and this chapter took a lot out of me emotionally. I figured it was easier just to post what I had than try to get out more right now and make you wait longer. Thank you all for your continued support!


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So sorry it's taken so long to update this, and I wish it was longer. Life has not been great for me the past few months. I promise I won't abandon this story. Updates may be a while in between, but they will come.

Nori never would have thought that being in a dungeon would have made him feel _better_ , but considering that he’d nearly been eaten by spiders after being lost in a cursed forest and having terrible visions of his lost love, this was turning out to be the highlight of his day. Which wasn’t really saying much.

Nori had been very worried when he’d realized that Bilbo was not among them when they were captured. Bofur tried to keep things on the positive side, pointing out that Bilbo had managed to escape the Goblins as well and came out fine from that. _Our lad’s a resourceful one,_ Bofur had said. Nori could tell that Bofur was worried too, but as always was trying to keep upbeat. Nori had given him a kiss, which wasn’t really smart in front of their captors, but Mahal, he loved this Dwarf.

Of course he’d been thrown into a different cell from his husband, by himself; he’d taken a quick look around and determined he was not going to be able to get himself out. He’d been in many jails in his time and this was by far the most well-built; not a loose stone or bar anywhere. There was nothing to do but wait.

A few days into their captivity Nori was awoken from his slumber by a familiar voice, low and urgent.

“Psst, Dad. Dad!”

Nori jumped up in surprise when he saw his son standing on the other side of the bars. “Bilbo!” He clapped his hand over his mouth, silently cursing himself for saying that so loudly; thank Mahal it was the middle of the night and there was only one guard, who was currently at the lower level of cells. He went to the bars and knelt, taking Bilbo’s hand as his son reached through the bars. “I’m so glad you’re all right,” Nori said, keeping his voice low. “How did you get in here?”

“I’m _your_ son, remember?” Bilbo said with a small smile. Nori couldn’t help feeling that Bilbo was keeping something from him. “I don’t have much time before the guard comes back, I just wanted you to know that I’m working on getting you all out of here. It may take awhile but I promise I’ll figure it out.”

“Be careful,” Nori said, squeezing his son’s hand.

“Don’t worry about me,” Bilbo said. His free hand was in his pocket, seeming to play with something. “I’ll be just fine.”

Nori released Bilbo’s hand; he suddenly felt uneasy. Something about Bilbo’s tone, the look in his eyes...

Footsteps began to echo closer to them and Nori peered in their direction. “The guard’s coming back, you’d better...”

But Bilbo was already gone.

Bilbo would come back every few days to let him know about the progress of his plan; he visited some of the others too. “Bofur wanted me to tell you he loves you,” Bilbo said one day, “And that he hopes we’re out of here soon because he’s getting a cramp in his wrist, whatever that means.”

Nori snorted laughter at the perplexed look on his son’s face. “Tell him I love him too and we’ll fix that soon as we’re able once we’re out of here.” Nori’s merriment faded as he took in his son’s appearance. “You’re not getting enough to eat,” Nori said. Bilbo had lost a lot of weight; he had been losing weight ever since the journey started but now he was starting to look emaciated and there were dark circles under his eyes.

“I grab food where i can, sometimes I have to go without for a couple days or risk being caught,” Bilbo said. “Don’t worry, we Dwarves are a hardy sort,” Bilbo said with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

And his hand, as always, was in his pocket, playing with something.

The next time Bilbo visited, it was with a key in his hand, and for the first time in weeks, they were free. Nori could do no more than give Bilbo a quick hug before his son led them to their unconventional means of escape.

One extremely wet and uncomfortable barrel ride later they were dragging themselves to the shore. Bilbo began to cough violently and fell to his knees. “What’s wrong?” Nori asked, immediately going to his son, closely followed by Bofur.

“Just...” Bilbo let out another cough, “...swallowed some water is all.”

There was a commotion a bit further downshore and Nori looked up to see Dwalin poised protectively over Ori and a Man with a bow pointed at them both. Nori instinctively reached for his knives before remembering that the Elves had taken all his weapons.

But Balin was already there, talking to the Man, and it seemed to defuse the situation; the Man headed to his barge and Balin gestured for the others to follow, still chatting with the new arrival. they found it his name was Bard and that he was a widower with three children.

They negotiated payment to be taken to Laketown; unfortunately it didn’t go as smooth as they hoped. They ended up back in the barrels, and being doused in fish. By the time they climbed out of the barrels again everyone was not only soaked but smelled rather unpleasant.

And now they had to climb into Bard’s house through his _toilet_.

Once they were settled in Bard’s house and changed to different clothes (which were too big, but at least they were dry and reasonably clean), Nori sat down in a corner and let Bofur work on sorting out the utter disasters that were his hair and beard.

“You look like a drowned cat,” Bofur teased from where he was straddling Nori’s lap, facing him as he finished detangling Nori’s unbound beard braids.

“Well thank you love,” Nori said sarcastically with a playful smile. “You, on the other hand, look ravishing as always.” He pulled Bofur in for a quick kiss. “I missed you. May be awhile before we have the chance to work that cramp out of your wrist, though,” he said, waggling his eyebrows.

Bofur laughed. “Oh we’re finding a way before we head to the mountain.” Nori pulled him close again and pressed their foreheads together. 

“You want to talk about what you saw in the woods?” Bofur asked softly. When Nori raised an eyebrow Bofur added, “Bilbo told me, don’t be angry. He was worried about you.”

“I’m not angry.” Nori sighed and played with Bofur’s hair. “I keep telling myself that it wasn’t real, that the things she said weren’t true. But here we are, so close to Erebor, and I keep thinking about that dragon...and her telling me I was going to get you and Bilbo killed because of how selfish I am. And I feel like she’s right, not just you two but Dori and Ori as well.” 

“I’m not here because of you, love. I didn’t even know you when i signed up for this mad errand. So whatever happens to me is by no means on you.” When Nori pressed their foreheads more tightly together and sighed Bofur said, “You want to know why I came?”

“The treasure, I reckon,” Nori said.

Bofur shook his head. “Nah.” He leaned back a bit and grinned at Nori. “I was bored.” When Nori stared at him in disbelief Bofur laughed. “I’m serious. Thought a spot of adventure would liven things up. Well, that and I was told there’d be free beer.”

Nori laughed and pulled Bofur back in for another kiss; Mahal he loved this silly Dwarf so much.

“There are children present,” Dori admonished from where he was getting his beard rebraided by Ori a few feet away.

Nori made a sound of protest when Bofur broke the kiss. “I don’t think we’ve scarred them for for life,” Nori remarked. Bard’s son looked more curious than anything and the girls were watching them and giggling.

“Don’t mind us, we’re newlyweds,” Bofur called out to them, giving a little wave. 

“Are you really?” the youngest girl asked, her eyes wide.

“That’s right,” Nori confirmed, draping his arms around Bofur’s shoulders.

The girls started asking them all sorts of questions...about their wedding, how they met. Of course they couldn’t tell them the truth about the quest so Nori, being quite the proficient liar, made up an alternate story about how they met. Bofur played along happily, even adding his own details of the events..a lot involving talk of how wonderful Nori was, which both made Nori want to blush and want to drag Bofur off somewhere and snog him senseless.

“I’m sorry, am I interrupting?” Bilbo asked as he approached. “I thought you might need help getting your hair put to rights.”

“You’re never an interruption lad,” Bofur said, shifting so Bilbo could kneel down in front of Nori. “Could use another pair of hands to work on this mess.” Bofur laughed when Nori made an affronted sound.

“Honestly Dad, I never realized just how much beard you’ve got, it must take a day to do it all by yourself,” Bilbo said as he began to comb out the tangles.

“Dad?” Bard’s older daughter asked.

“Yes, he’s my father,” Bilbo said, and Nori smiled at the pride he heard in his son’s voice.

“But you’re not a Dwarf,” the younger girl said. “Did he adopt you?”

“Oh no, he’s my father by blood,I’m only half Dwarf. My mother was a Hobbit,” Bilbo said as he continued to tend to Nori’s beard.

“Why aren’t your parents together anymore?” The younger girl asked.

“Tilda,” the older girl scolded.

“It’s all right,” Bilbo said. “My mother passed away some time ago.”

“Sorry to hear that,” the older girl said. “Our Ma passed away too.”

“Maybe our Da will find a new wife someday like yours did!” Tilda said.

It took Nori a moment to realize the implication of the young girl’s words; he looked at Bofur, who looked not at all offended that the child thought he was a Dwarf woman. When Bofur gave Nori a cheeky grin Nori laughed and hugged Bofur close. “Got the prettiest one in the land, I did.”

Bilbo called Bofur ‘mother’ for the rest of the night to tease him. Nori thought Bofur rather liked it.

**

The Master of Laketown was a vile, piggish, greedy Man, but he had a huge house and a lot of food. And once Thorin had offered to share the treasures of Erebor with him in exchange for aid they had been given free access to both. Bombur had cooked a grand meal, declaring that this was what Bofur and Nori’s wedding meal _should_ have been like, and everyone ate until they were fit to burst.

“So about that wrist cramp,” Nori whispered into Bofur’s ear. “How about we pick a room upstairs, lock the door, and thoroughly work it out?”

Bofur turned his head to rub his nose against Nori’s. “Sounds like a fabulous idea.” Both of them looked towards Bilbo as he let out a rather wet-sounding cough.

“Are you all right, Bilbo?” Ori asked.

“I’m fine,” Bilbo said, stifling another cough.

“You’re looking a bit pale,” Dori said. “We should get Oin to look at you.”

“I just need some rest,” Bilbo insisted, getting to his feet. “I’ll be fit as a fiddle by morning.” 

“I’m going to get Oin,” Dori insisted, rising from his seat.

Nori saw the exasperated look on Bilbo’s face and spoke up. “Durin’s balls, Dori, leave the lad alone. He’ll see Oin himself if he thinks he needs to, he’s not a child.”

Bilbo walked over to Nori and hugged him. “Thank you,” he whispered before touching their foreheads together. He embraced and touched foreheads with Bofur as well before heading upstairs

Nori and Bofur headed upstairs themselves shortly after, and after doing a thorough working out of Bofur’s ‘wrist cramp’, they fell asleep snuggled close on the huge, comfortable bed.

They were awoken in the middle of the night by a hard frantic pounding on their bedroom door.

“Nori! It’s Bilbo!” Ori’s voice came from the other side.

Nori was out of bed in an instant, Bofur right behind him; he threw open the door and his little brother was standing there looking near tears.

“Dwalin woke up and Bilbo was making this choking noise and he was really hot,” Ori said as he led them to Dwalin and Bilbo’s room down the hall. “He went to get Oin.”

“He left him alone? The stupid...” Nori saw as he entered the room though that Bilbo was not alone, Dori was with him, holding him in his arms and attempting to calm him.

“Come on lad, take it easy, try to breathe,” Dori said, petting Bilbo’s sweaty curls. Bilbo’s face was flushed and his chest hitched as he took short gasps of air.

Just then Dwalin came running back in, Oin close behind. “Lay him down Dori, let me take a look at him,” the old Dwarf said.

Dori did as he was told and Nori pushed him out of the way so he could be close to Bilbo while Oin looked him over. “Is it pneumonia?” Nori asked. “He started coughing after we escaped Mirkwood, he said that he swallowed some water. Maybe it got into his lungs?”

“New-what?” Kili asked from the doorway, where most of the Company had now gathered.

“Is it serious?” Fili asked, concern evident in his voice.

“It can be _very_ serious,” Balin said gravely.

Nori put his hand on Bilbo’s forehead; it was burning hot and Nori tried to recall if it had felt warm when they’d touched foreheads before he’d gone to bed. Nori didn’t think so, but then he’d been a bit preoccupied with thoughts of getting Bofur out of his clothes.

Guilt washed over him. _I should have realized something was really wrong. Thinking with my cock and look what happened._

Just when he was starting to think he could be a decent father. 

Nori felt Bofur’s hands, warm and comforting as always, squeeze his shoulders gently; Nori allowed himself to lean into his husband, watching Oin anxiously as he examined Bilbo.

Oin finally finished poking and prodding Bilbo and looked up. “I believe you’re right, Nori.”

“What can we do?” Bofur asked anxiously.

“I lost all my herbs when we got thrown in the dungeon; I’ll have to go out in the morning and see if I can find any merchants who have them. And any other medicines that might help. I’m afraid I don’t know much about Hobbits.” Oin looked at Nori. “If you have any information that might help...”

“I...no, I mean, his mother and I, we never talked about...” Nori curled his fingers into his hair and tugged in frustration, not caring what it was doing to his hairdo. He felt so helpless, so bloody _useless_.

Dori went and retrieved a cloth and a basin of water; Nori gently wiped at Bilbo’s forehead and silently prayed to whoever or whatever might be listening. _Please don’t take him from me._


	13. Chapter 13

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry it took so long for me to continue this story. Hopefully the next chapter won't take nearly as long.

In the days that followed Nori did not leave Bilbo’s side, and barely slept; every time he started to nod off all it took was a cough or moan from Bilbo and he would instantly be awake again. Bofur, as well as many of the others, tried to get Nori to go back to his room and sleep, with the promise that they would wake him if anything changed, but Nori refused. He was terrified that if he let Bilbo out of his sight, he would die. Nori did his best to keep his son cool, get as much of the herbal broths Oin had prepared into him as possible, and make sure he could breathe all right when he started coughing. He had seen Men ill before, had seen what pneumonia did to them. Many of them did not survive it. What chance did his little son have?

Nori rubbed his eyes and looked up as the door opened and Dwalin stepped in as silently as a Dwarf his size could manage, carrying two bowls in his hands; Nori hadn’t paid much attention to him since Bilbo got sick but now he saw that Dwalin looked every bit as bad as Nori felt. “Bofur’ll be up soon, Bilbo’s broth isn’t quite ready yet,” Dwalin said as he offered one of the bowls to Nori.

The two ate in silence for a few moments, both staring at the small, flushed figure on the bed. 

“I’d like to feed him this time,” Dwalin said.

“He’s my responsibility, not yours,” Nori snapped.

Dwalin set his bowl down and sighed heavily, rubbing his hands over his bald head. “I can’t keep just sitting here and doing nothing...just watching and waiting.” He dropped his hands into his lap and leaned back in his chair. “I understand how you feel, but I care for him too...”

“Don’t you dare compare your petty lust to what I feel for my son!” Nori hissed.

“Don’t you act like I think of your son as some sort of convenient holes to spill my seed in!” Dwalin shouted. He rose from his seat, breathing hard through his nose. Nori rose from his seat as well, already drawing his fist back.

The coughing coming from the bed stopped them both. “Now look what you’ve done!” Nori turned away from Dwalin and went to Bilbo, climbing onto the bed next to him. “Shh it’s all right, Daddy’s here, try to relax,” he said, propping Bilbo up against his shoulder. “And you, get out!” He said, jabbing his finger at Dwalin. 

Dwalin stood there for a few moments, his gaze thunderous, large hands clenching and unclenching; then he turned and left the room, almost knocking into Bofur on the way out.

“What’s going on there?” Bofur asked as he handed Nori the cup containing Bilbo’s medicinal broth.

“Bloody prick needs to stay out of the way,” Nori muttered. He adjusted the pillows so Bilbo was propped up. “Here now lad, Daddy’s got your medicine, you need to drink it all up.” Bilbo’s eyes did not open but his mouth opened slightly as Nori carefully placed the spoon against his lips. “There’s my good boy.” Nori carefully spooned small amounts into Bilbo’s mouth and waited for him to swallow before giving him more. 

“Nori.” Nori looked over at his husband. “Dwalin loves him, you know.” When Nori snorted Bofur said, “It’s true. You can see it every time he looks at him.”

“I don’t see it,” Nori said as he fed Bilbo another spoonful.

“Well no offense love, but you can’t stand Dwalin. You wouldn’t exactly be looking for it.” Bofur climbed up on the bed and sat next to Nori. “So what set him off?”

“He wanted to feed Bilbo, I told him to bugger off,” Nori said

“Hmm,” Bofur said, propping himself up against the headboard. When Nori looked over at him with a raised brow Bofur said, “Say it was me laying there, and my family tried to keep you away from me, what would you do?”

“I’d bust their skulls,” Nori said. “No one’s going to keep me from you.”

“I’m willing to bet that Dwalin feels much the same about Bilbo, and probably the only reason he didn’t bust _your_ skull was because Bilbo wouldn’t have liked it. But I’ve got a feeling that may change if you keep making him stay at arm’s length.”

“This is my responsibility,” Nori said as he continued to feed Bilbo. “I wasn’t there for him growing up, and I might not have much time left with him, even if he makes it through this...” 

“Oh love,” Bofur said. He took the bowl from Nori and fed Bilbo the last spoonfuls before setting it aside and taking Nori into his arms. “You have to stop beating yourself up. You can’t change the past.” He pressed his forehead to Nori’s and said, “Why don’t you lie down with him and take a nap?”

“I...I need some fresh air.” Nori pulled away. “You’ll keep an eye on him for me?”

“Of course,” Bofur said, his eyes filled with worry as he watched Nori slide off the bed.

As soon as Nori was outside he drew in a deep breath, letting the cold air fill his lungs; he gripped the porch rail hard and tried to calm his racing mind. He was exhausted, both physically and emotionally, and he felt himself starting to unravel. He pressed the palms of his hands to his eyes and his breath hitched. He didn’t notice his older brother had come out onto the porch until he started speaking.

“There you are! Oin’s examining Bilbo, don’t you want to..” Dori stopped short when Nori looked in his direction; his older brother’s face melted from mild annoyance to concern, to _love_ , and seeing that made Nori completely break down.

Dori’s strong arms were around him in an instant and Nori pressed his face into his brother’s shoulder and cried harder than he ever had in his life. Dori brought them both down to the floor and pulled Nori into his lap, just like he had when he was little, and held him, cooing soothingly and rubbing comforting circles onto his back.

Nori didn’t know how long he cried, but by the time he was done he could barely keep his eyes open and his body felt limp with exhaustion. “Why?” He asked, barely managing above a whisper.

“Why what?” asked Dori, dabbing now at Nori’s face with a handkerchief.

“I’ve not...all the trouble I’ve been...”

Dori looked down at him with a frown. “Are you asking why I’m comforting you?” When Nori made a slight nod Dori sighed and kissed his forehead. “Because I love you, you dolt. You think that just because we’ve had our rough spots that I’d stopped?”

That was exactly what Nori had thought, and by the way Dori hugged him tighter his brother must have read his mind. “I’m sorry,” Nori whispered.

Dori made a ‘pshaw’ sound. “You did the best with what you had, which, let’s be honest, wasn’t much. Your father nowhere around, Mother off doing...well, we both know what she did. I tried to do right by you, I did, but it wasn’t enough.”

“Not your fault.”

Dori grunted. “I could have tried harder. I abandoned you when Mother died, gave all I had to Ori.”

“He needed you.”

“Yes, but you needed me too. I should have tried harder with you, and I’m sorry.”

Nori felt tears beginning to flow again.

Dori laid his head on top of Nori’s. “I want you to know, I’m proud of who you’ve become,” he whispered into Nori’s ear. 

Nori fell asleep in his brother’s arms, and awoke under a pile of warm blankets and with Bilbo curled tightly against him; he blinked a few times to clear his vision and saw Bofur and Ori sitting nearby, Ori scribbling earnestly in his sketchbook.

“Dori carried you up here,” Bofur said. “Gave strict orders not to wake you up.”

“How long was I out?”

“Almost a full day. You needed it.” Bofur gave him a smile so full of love it made Nori’s breath catch. “Was a sweet sight, you two.”

Nori wiped the damp curls away from Bilbo’s forehead and sighed as he felt that Bilbo’s fever was still raging as hot as ever.

“Ori,” Bofur said, “Need to talk to your brother alone for a minute, if you’re not minding?”

“Oh, of course! Just let me...” Ori’s tongue poked out of the side of his mouth for a moment as he made a few more quick scribbles before leaving the room.

As soon as Ori had shut the door Bofur turned back to Nori. “You know you don’t have to hide your feelings from me, right? I’m here for you for whatever you need.”

“Of course I know that,” Nori said. “I’m just not used to that. It’s not about you.”

“I know it’s not, just wanted to make sure you know you’re not burdening me. Like I said when we first got together, I knew what I was getting myself into when I decided to court you.”

Dwalin entered, carrying a bowl of broth for Bilbo. Bofur gave Nori a look and Nori sighed and climbed off the bed. “Go ahead.” When Dwalin looked at him warily Nori waved his hand. “Go on and feed him.”

Nori sat next to Bofur and watched Dwalin feed Bilbo, barely restraining himself from criticizing Dwalin’s feeding method or going over there to take over himself. Bofur seemed to sense this and each time Nori felt like he was about to do just that his husband squeezed his hand to calm him. Dwalin was surprisingly gentle with Bilbo and as Nori continued to watch, he had to admit that Bofur was right.

_Dwalin really did love him._

Well, if Bilbo was happy, Nori supposed he could deal with it. But he was never, _ever_ calling Dwalin ‘son’.

**

Bilbo was dying.

He had declined rapidly in the matter of a couple days, becoming pale and completely unresponsive, his breaths so shallow that they almost couldn’t be seen. The Company, save for Thorin, had gathered and watched as Oin looked Bilbo over.

The old Dwarf sighed. “I’m sorry, lad. I don’t think he’ll last the night.”

Nori buried his face in his hands. Bofur hugged him tightly from one side and Dori and Ori embraced him from the other as the other Dwarves murmured unhappily.

Oin patted Nori on the shoulder. “I suggest that if you’ve got things to say to him, you do that before it’s too late. He may not be awake, but he can still hear you.”

The door slammed open and hung precariously on a broken hinge as Dwalin made a hasty exit, Balin close behind him; Bombur, who was usually the most quiet of them all, spoke up. “Let’s give them some space,” he said to the others. They filed out, Fili and Kili leaning on each other for support.

“I...I need some time alone with him,” Nori managed.

“All right love. We’ll be right down the hall.” Bofur pressed his forehead to Nori’s and kissed him.

After everyone left, Nori went over to the bed and crawled up onto it. He pulled his son into his arms, pressing his forehead to Bilbo’s. “I should have made you stay in Rivendell,” Nori said as he stroked Bilbo’s hair. “I never should have let you come in the first place. I’m your father, I’m supposed to protect you. But look what I’ve done ...I’ve killed you.” Nori let out a sob and clutched his son tighter. “I’m so sorry...I would do anything to change this, _anything_...”

Nori heard the sound of movement, and looked up just in time to see Bilbo’s waistcoat, which was spread out neatly on a nearby chair, slide off the chair and onto the floor. It landed with a distinctively metallic sound. Frowning in confusion, Nori wiped his eyes and slid off the bed to take a look.

When he lifted Bilbo’s waistcoat, it felt oddly heavy on one side; he inspected more closely and saw that there was something in one of the pockets. He reached inside and his fingers closed around a small, round object. Nori fished it out and saw that it was a ring, small enough to fit perfectly on a Hobbit’s finger. 

How could something so small be so heavy? Nori raised it closer to his eyes to inspect it. It was a simple gold ring, no markings of any sort. Nori had seen many rings in his life, had stolen quite a few, and even more elaborate, jewel-encrusted ones were nowhere near this weight.

He nearly dropped the ring when it suddenly grew much warmer between his fingers. He managed to catch it before it hit the floor and held it in his outstretched palm. The ring grew even warmer and suddenly a voice echoed in his mind.

_Put me on._

The ring began to grow in his hand.

_I can give you anything. Power...riches..._

Images flashed through his head. Immense wealth, thousands of people who both admired and feared him, a host of eager lovers to cater to his every fantasy. 

The ring was now large enough for Nori to wear. The voice echoed through his mind, promising him anything, _everything_ , if only he put it on...

Nori threw the ring across the room and scrambled back several feet for good measure. No, he didn’t want any of that...he didn’t _need_ any of that. Maybe the old him, but not who he was now. All he wanted was his husband, and his family, and for his son to be well again...

_I can save him_ , the voice echoed in Nori’s head. _Give me to him. I protected him in the Goblin caves. I helped him rescue you from the dungeons. I can make him well. I can make sure he lives a long, long life._

Nori looked over at his son, pale and so terribly still. He couldn’t let him die if there was a way to save him; he could never live with himself. But this ring...he didn’t trust it either. It had promised Nori things, and those promises had felt dark. 

But Bilbo was different; he was better than Nori, _purer_. Bilbo had never wanted anything more from life to have a cozy home, a nice garden, and some good books to read. How could the ring possibly make anything corrupt of that?

Nori got one of Bilbo’s handkerchiefs and used it to pick up the ring. He felt it shrink back down to Hobbit size as he walked over to the bed and climbed back on it. Nori opened Bilbo’s palm and put the ring inside it before curling Bilbo’s fingers around it. “Please come back to me,” Nori whispered in his son’s ear. 

Bilbo drew in a long, deep breath and his eyes slowly opened. “Dad?” His voice was raspy and he looked disoriented, but he was _awake_. 

Nori felt Bilbo’s forehead and let out a joyous sob; his fever was receding. “Oh thank Mahal..” he embraced Bilbo tightly. 

Bilbo laid his head against Nori’s shoulder. “I saw Mother. I thought I was dead.”

“You’re fine,” Nori whispered, touching their foreheads together. “Everything is going to be fine.”

**

Over the next several days Bilbo quickly recovered, to the shock of everyone but Nori and Bilbo himself; they never discussed it but Nori could tell that Bilbo knew the ring was responsible and Nori often saw Bilbo’s hand in his pocket, playing with it.

Nori didn’t regret the decision he’d made; his son was alive. But he couldn’t help feeling unease at the back of his mind about the ring. He kept telling himself that there was nothing in Bilbo the ring could corrupt, and it helped, but the worry never fully went away.

The day came when Thorin announced that they would be leaving Laketown to make the final leg of their journey to Erebor. Nori couldn’t say he was particularly enthused at the idea, and he knew he wasn’t alone in that feeling. There seemed to be an equal amount of Dwarves excited to be heading out (Fili and Kili among them of course, sweet loyal lads), and an equal amount of those who were less enthused but were doing their best to hide it in front of Thorin.

“What if I lose him at the mountain? I couldn’t bear it,” Nori said to Bofur as the two of them lay in bed together. 

“The dragon hasn’t been seen in years, it might be dead,” Bofur said.

“Somehow with the way things have gone so far, I doubt it.” Nori let out a happy sigh as Bofur began to kiss and bite his neck. 

“You’ve worried too much lately,” Bofur said between kisses. “I think...” His mouth moved down Nori’s chest, “That you need to release some tension.”

By the end of the night, Nori was very relaxed indeed. 

They were awoken early the next morning and as the group gathered up their things Nori nearly broke his nose when he turned and ran straight into Dwalin, who had apparently been lurking directly behind him.

“A word,” Dwalin said. “It’s about Bilbo. He’s fine,” the big Dwarf said quickly when he saw the look of anxiety on Nori’s face. “I...need advice,” he said, looking and sounding put out by the admission. Dwalin looked around to make sure no one else was listening before he asked, “Do you know anything about Hobbit courtship?”

Nori raised his eyebrows. “And why would you want to know?” He asked. He already knew the answer, but he enjoyed watching Dwalin squirm.

And squirm Dwalin did, much to Nori’s not very well hidden amusement. “Well after him almost dying, I realized I want to make things more...official,” Dwalin said. “So if I’m going to do it, I reckon I should try to do it right.” When Nori snickered Dwalin rolled his eyes and muttered, “Forget it.” He turned to leave.

“Flower crowns.”

Dwalin turned back to look at him with a confused expression.

“If you want to say ‘I want to spend the rest of my life with you’, flower crowns are where it’s at,” Nori continued. When Dwalin gave him a look that clearly said he thought he was being lied to, Nori held up his hands. “Swear it’s true. His mother loved to carry on about her hundreds of relatives and how they met and married their spouses. Type of flower doesn’t seem to matter. You offer it to him and if he lets you put it on his head, you’re in.” when Dwalin still eyed Nori like he didn’t quite believe him Nori said, “Look, as much fun as I’d have humiliating you, it’d upset my son, and I love him too much to do that to him. So have at, and make my boy happy. And remember that my earlier threat of cutting your bollocks off if you hurt him still very much stands.”

Dwalin lumbered off and Nori went on a search for Bilbo; he found his son on the back porch of the house, leaning against the railing and looking out onto the water. “Be leaving soon,” Nori said. “Got everything?” He couldn’t keep his eyes from going to Bilbo’s pocket where he knew the ring lay.

Bilbo followed Nori’s gaze and nodded. “All set,” Bilbo confirmed before looking up at him. “I’m sorry we haven’t spent much time together since I got better, Dwalin’s been...” Bilbo reddened, “...very relieved I’ve recovered.”

Nori snorted laughter. “Yes lad, I figured you two weren’t locked in your room for hours exchanging tart recipes.” Not that he wanted to picture what they _had_ been up to. When Bilbo got even redder Nori laughed and hugged him tightly. “If you’re happy I’m happy. You _are_ happy, right?” 

Bilbo nodded and smiled. “Yes, I am.”

“Good good.” Nori leaned down so they could touch foreheads.

“You know what Dwalin told me about you the other day?” Bilbo asked.

“What’s that?” Nori asked, imagining all the terrible things Dwalin could have told Bilbo about his past.

“He said that other than Balin, you’re the most clever person he knows.”

Well...that wasn’t what Nori had expected at _all_.

“And he’s right,” Bilbo said, looking at Nori with such adoration that Nori thought his heart might simply explode. “I’m so proud to have you as my father. I just wanted you to know in case...well, this all ends badly.”

Mahal, Nori wanted to take his family and run away from the madness they were walking into. He didn’t care a bit about the treasure anymore. He’d found on this journey things much more valuable to him than gold and jewels. 

“Well,” Bilbo said, letting out a deep breath, “I suppose we should join the others.”

Nori nodded. “About time to head out. Bilbo?”

“Yes?”

“I want you to know how proud I am that you’re my son. And how glad I am to have found you.” He oofed as Bilbo threw himself into Nori’s arms and hugged him. “I love you,” Nori said into the top of his son’s curly head.

“I love you too, Dad.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was one of those chapters i started a dozen times, got stuck, and had to start all over again. I get so many ideas in my head sometimes that they jumble up and I can't make anything cohesive of them. Thanks again to everyone who's liked and commented on this story.


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